Bouhanni wins French championships in bunch sprint

Image 1 of 4

Nacer Bouhanni swooped fast and last to overtake his FDJ-BigMat teammate and fellow neo pro Arnaud Demare in the shadow of the winning line to secure the biggest win of his career and continue the rapid progress he has made this season.

The 21-year-old from Epinal won the overall title at the Circuit de Lorraine earlier in the season and proved his versatility by prevailing in a mass sprint in atrocious conditions in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux on the French/Belgian border.

The result proves that the future of French cycling is in rude health, with Demare even younger than his conqueror at the age of just 20. He looked to have secured the victory with a finishing burst with less than 300 metres to go, which left initial attacker Jimmy Casper (AG2R-LaMondiale) floundering, but Bouhanni was tracking Demare all the way and clinched the title with a well-timed burst that broke the heart of his younger rival.

The 256km course took its toll on the field, which came home in several groups. The wind and rain that marred the majority of the northern European national championships certainly left its mark, with 56 riders abandoning.

With last year’s winner Sylvain Chavanel finishing well of the pace in 62nd position and 2010 champion Thomas Voeckler unable to defend his crown because of injury the race looked wide open. In the end the two youngsters fought out the finish, finishing ahead of Adrien Petit (Cofidis), Denis Flahaut (Roubaix Lille Metropole) and Sebastien Turgot (Europcar).

Results