Demare beats Bouhanni to French road race title
By Brecht Decaluwé/Cyclingnews
Race comes back for bunch sprint after crosswind chaos
Top favourite Arnaud Démare (FDJ) won the French national championships road race in Saint-Omer (Nord-Pas-de-Calais) on Sunday afternoon. Démare won the sprint in a small peloton, holding off Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis). Jérémy Leveau (Roubaix-Lille Métropole) was third at long distance.
It's the second time 25-year-old Démare gets to wear the blue-blanc-rouge, after winning in Futuroscope in 2014. He takes over the jersey from teammate Arthur Vichot.
"We have a super team. We went 100 per cent for me today. I was very good and the team was strong. I'm super happy. [...] One doesn't get used to wearing this jersey. It'll be a different experience compared to the first time. I was very young in 2014," Démare said in the post-race flash interview.
The man next to him - Nacer Bouhanni - was less excited, two months after his crash in the Tour of Yorkshire. Before crossing the line, Bouhanni was making gestures to point out that he didn't like the way Démare sprinted.
"He moved twice. He didn't hold his line in the final metres. I was relegated for a few centimetres in Hamburg. I'm disappointed. I'd loved to have won," Bouhanni said in his post-race flash interview. Démare did move but the jury felt it wasn't enough to relegate him.
The French peloton faced a battle of 248 kilometres on a 15.5 kilometres long course, with the wind and two climbs featuring on each of the sixteen laps. A large group of fourteen riders formed the breakaway of the day but the FDJ-led peloton didn't offer them a lot of ground. Thomas Rostollan (Armée de Terre) and Anthony Turgis (Cofidis) were the strongest men in front, dropping them on the climb. Meanwhile, another chase group was formed. Eight riders from this group bridged up with the two leaders when passing the Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery. At 40 kilometres from the finish, the peloton was a minute down on the ten leaders.
Further attacks on the climbs in front and in the peloton created a further selection. A first selection left Thomas Boudat (Direct Energie), Pierre-Roger Latour (AG2R La Mondiale), Florian Vachon (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) and Flavien Dassonville (HP BTP - Auber 93) in front. Later, Florian Vachon and Thomas Boudat were joined by Julien Bernard (Trek-Segafredo), Elie Gesbert (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) and Yoann Offredo (WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect) on the last climb in the penultimate lap. The five leaders had a bonus of half a minute on the first peloton of 35 riders with all the best sprinters still there.
The final lap would decide if the peloton would get back on the leaders and which sprinters would survive the climbs. Julien Antomarchi (Roubaix-Lille Métropole) made a big move. After the first climb, he closed the gap with the five leaders, battling the crosswinds. On the second climb, he continued his effort and dropped the others. In the peloton, the Fortuneo-riders tried to disturb the build-up for the sprint. A small peloton of only twenty riders survived the climb, without Direct Energie-sprinters Bryan Coquard and Adrien Petit, but with Démare and Bouhanni.
At three kilometres from the finish Antomarchi was caught back by the FDJ-train. Mickaël Delage led out the sprint for Démare, who started the tailwind sprint. Bouhanni was glued on his wheel but failed to get out it. Jérémy Leveau (Roubaix-Lille Métropole) was best of the rest at two seconds, joining the two top sprinters on the podium.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ | 5:54:22 |
2 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
3 | Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Metropole | 0:00:02 |
4 | Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
5 | Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
6 | Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
7 | Rudy Barbier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
8 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
9 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
10 | Fabien Touze (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
11 | Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
12 | Quentin Pacher (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
13 | Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ | |
14 | Laurent Pichon (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | 0:00:05 |
15 | Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
16 | Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | 0:00:08 |
17 | Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
18 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
19 | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:00:11 |
20 | Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Metropole | |
21 | David Menut (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | 0:00:23 |
22 | Erwann Corbel (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
23 | Steven Tronet (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
24 | Kevin Le Cunff (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
25 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ | |
26 | Brice Feillu (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
27 | Jimmy Raibaud (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
28 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | |
29 | Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | 0:00:28 |
30 | Anthony Maldonado (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
31 | Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:00:29 |
32 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie | |
33 | Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:00:38 |
34 | Jeremy Bescond (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | 0:01:05 |
35 | Yannis Yssaad (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
36 | Julien Morice (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:01:46 |
37 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:01:48 |
38 | Alexandre Blain (Fra) Madison Genesis | 0:01:51 |
39 | Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
40 | Pierre Moncorgé (Fra) MPC | |
41 | Yannick Martinez (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
42 | Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie | |
43 | Félix Pouilly (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Metropole | |
44 | Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
45 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
46 | Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
47 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
48 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
49 | Francis Mourey (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | 0:01:58 |
50 | Brian Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie | |
51 | Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
52 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
53 | Jérémy Maison (Fra) FDJ | |
54 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | |
55 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:03:09 |
56 | Nicolas Baldo (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | 0:03:10 |
57 | Justin Jules (Fra) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | 0:03:46 |
58 | Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo | 0:03:53 |
59 | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie | |
60 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
61 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Direct Energie | |
62 | François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
63 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
64 | Rudy Molard (Fra) FDJ | 0:04:18 |
65 | Pierre Roger Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
66 | Kevin Reza (Fra) FDJ | |
67 | Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
68 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
69 | Flavien Dassonville (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
70 | Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | 0:04:40 |
71 | Kevin Lebreton (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
72 | Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:05:07 |
73 | Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
74 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ | |
75 | Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:07:20 |
76 | Pierre Gouault (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
77 | Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Direct Energie | |
78 | Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
79 | Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie | |
80 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
81 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie | |
82 | Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
83 | Romain Feillu (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | 0:07:24 |
84 | Clement Venturini (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
85 | Clement Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
86 | Fabien Canal (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
87 | Morgan Kneisky (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
88 | Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
89 | Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
90 | Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
91 | Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
92 | Dorian Godon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
93 | Julien El Fares (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
94 | Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
95 | Jordan Levasseur (Fra) Armee de Terre | 0:07:43 |
DNF | William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Marc Fournier (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | David Gaudu (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Léo Vincent (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Jeremy Cornu (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Romain Guillemois (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Tony Hurel (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Yoann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Bryan Alaphilippe (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Romain Campistrous (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Thibault Ferasse (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Damien Gaudin (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Yann Guyot (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Romain Le Roux (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Julien Loubet (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Jerome Mainard (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Thomas Rostollan (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
DNF | Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Maxime Daniel (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
DNF | Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
DNF | Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
DNF | Benjamin Giraud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
DNF | Romain Lemarchand (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
DNF | Jeremy Cabot (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Metropole | |
DNF | Dylan Kowalski (Fra) Roubaix - Lille Metropole | |
DNF | Quentin Valognes (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Corentin Cherhal (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Romain Gioux (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Julien Amadori (Fra) Interpro Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Florian Hudry (Fra) Interpro Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Maxime Gressier (Fra) Development Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Corentin Ermenault (Fra) Team Wiggins |
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