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Florian Sénéchal wins the GP Vermarc Sport

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Frenchman beats Riesebeek and Campenaerts in Belgian kermesse race

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Frances Florian Senechal of Deceuninck QuickStep celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the Grote Prijs Vermarc Sport one day cycling race 10 laps with a total of 160km on July 5 2020 in Rotselaar The race is the first professional cycling competition during the coronavirus crisis Public is not allowed at the start and finish Photo by LUC CLAESSEN BELGA AFP Belgium OUT Photo by LUC CLAESSENBELGAAFP via Getty Images

Florian Sénéchal (Deceuninck-QuickStep) celebrates his win (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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Dutch Oscar Riesebeek of AlpecinFenix French Florian Senechal of Deceuninck QuickStep and Belgian Victor Campenaerts of NTT Pro Cycling pictured after the Grote Prijs Vermarc Sport one day cycling race 10 laps with a total of 160km Sunday 05 July 2020 in Rotselaar The race is the first professional cycling competition during the coronavirus crisis Public is not allowed at the start and finish BELGA PHOTO LUC CLAESSEN Photo by LUC CLAESSENBELGA MAGAFP via Getty Images

The pared-back podium cereemony (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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050720 / Rotselaar / GP Vermarc /

Eddy Merckx at the race start (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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050720 / Rotselaar / GP Vermarc /

Deceuninck-QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere attended (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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050720 / Rotselaar / GP Vermarc /

Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) conducting interviews (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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050720 / Rotselaar / GP Vermarc /

VDM-Van Durm-Michiels-Trawobo CT lead the moment of silence for Niels De Vriendt (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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Belgian Sander Armee of Lotto Soudal and German John Degenkolb of Lotto Soudal pictured during the Grote Prijs Vermarc Sport one day cycling race 10 laps with a total of 160km Sunday 05 July 2020 in Rotselaar The race is the first professional cycling competition during the coronavirus crisis Public is not allowed at the start and finish BELGA PHOTO LUC CLAESSEN Photo by LUC CLAESSENBELGA MAGAFP via Getty Images

Lotto Soudal at the front of the rarce (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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050720 / Rotselaar / GP Vermarc /

Fabio Jakobsen in action (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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050720 / Rotselaar / GP Vermarc /

The peloton out on the road (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
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Illustration picture of the lead group and crowds along the side of the road during the Grote Prijs Vermarc Sport one day cycling race 10 laps with a total of 160km Sunday 05 July 2020 in Rotselaar The race is the first professional cycling competition during the coronavirus crisis Public is not allowed at the start and finish BELGA PHOTO LUC CLAESSEN Photo by LUC CLAESSENBELGA MAGAFP via Getty Images

An escape group on the move (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Florian Sénéchal (Deceuninck-QuickStep) took victory at the GP Vermarc Sport after attacking from a reduced lead group to solo across the line in Rotselaar.

Oscar Riesebeek (Alpecin-Fenix) took second place, while Victor Campenaerts (Independent) rounded out the podium in the 164km kermesse race.

The race started with a moment of silence for the amateur rider Niels De Vriendt, who died during a race on Saturday. The action began soon after the racing got underway, with a group including Campenaerts breaking away at the front.

A chase group including Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) formed behind, eventually catching up after a long effort to make it to the front, while the peloton followed at over a minute.

The front group eventually fractured, and would later be joined by another group attacking out of the peloton. By the 15km to go mark, Sénéchal was out front with Riesebeek and Campenaerts, as a 40-second gap lay between them and their pursuers.

Sénéchal then made his move with a handful of kilometres remaining, jumping away on an uphill section. His companions had no answer to the Frenchman's attack, leaving Deceuninck-QuickStep to grab another victory in 2020 – albeit not at an official UCI race.

Brief results
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Florian Sénéchal (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep
2Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
3Victor Campenaerts (Bel)
4Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxeelles
6Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
7Toon Aerts (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Lions
8Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
9Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
10Corne Van Kessel (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert

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