Hurel claims first pro win on home soil at Polynormande

Tony Hurel of Europcar sealed the first victory of his pro career as he claimed the Polynormande. In an impressive bunch gallop, the 24-year-old Frenchman outsprinted Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), who took the lead of the French Cup, while Davy Commeyne (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony) rounded out the top three.

The most aggressive rider of the day was definitely Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r-La Mondiale). The sprinter who withdrew from the Tour de France only 48 hours prior to the start was cruelly reined in with 300 metres to go.

Mondory was part of the main breakaway that took shape after only 29 kilometres of racing. The break also included Jonathan Hivert (Saur-Sojasun), Arnaud Gérard and Arnaud Courteille (FDJ-BigMat), Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale), Jérôme Cousin and Vincent Jérôme (Europcar), Sébastien Duret (Bretagne-Schuller), Yoann Bagot (Cofidis), Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen), Pierre-Luc Périchon, Toms Skujins and Thomas Vaubourzeix (La Pomme Marseille), Fabien Schmidt (Roubaix-Lille Métropole), Steven Tronet (Auber 93), Freddy Bichot and Tomasz Olejnik (Véranda Rideau-U), as well as Etienne Briard (French national team). Their maximum lead was 1:40.

Later on, the group split up with Mondory attacking to ride alone in the last 25 kilometres. "Every year this race goes to someone who uses his physique to win out of the bunch," said the Frenchman who lives just a few miles away from Saint-Martin-de-Landelles, the village of Tour de France speaker Daniel Mangeas who organizes the Polynormande. "This is a local race for me but here or in Beijing, my motivation for winning is the same. The expectations of the crowd are higher here.

"People have probably enjoyed my show but when they come back in ten years' time and look at the record book, Tony Hurel will still be the winner. Only the result counts and I feel an enormous frustration but my reaction after my withdrawal from the Tour de France is very positive, I think. I've been scared to see to my old knee problems bouncing back but it was just a tendinitis at the worst time of the year. Now I hope for a beautiful Vuelta. I always want to repay my team that gives me the privilege to be a pro cyclist."

The other frustrated sprinter was Dumoulin. "[Saur-Sojasun] Julien Simon and I had the same idea to increase our lead in the French Cup over Arnaud Démare and the other absent riders," the Cofidis road captain said. "But Julien crashed and my derailleur was destroyed in that accident. I changed bikes and it was a bit chaotic at the end with the rain. I didn't have the necessary final jump to beat Hurel. It's frustrating because I had the win in the legs. I earned a big advantage in the French Cup but it's not over yet. I'll do all the remaining races."

Hurel had something in common with Mondory: he, too, is a local rider. "I live in Lisieux, Normandy," the Europcar rider said. "I came and watched this race when I was a kid, I raced here as an under 17. It's incredible that my first pro win happens here, in front of my family and friends. I hope this is a first milestone of my career and it'll take me to the top. I heard that the most difficult thing is to win for the first time. I want more, starting with Paris-Corrèze this week."

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Full Results
1Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar3:39:29
2Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 1 - Cell 2
3Davy Commeyne (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-EuphonyRow 2 - Cell 2
4Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 3 - Cell 2
5Sven Vandousselaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 4 - Cell 2
6Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 5 - Cell 2
7Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 6 - Cell 2
8Boris Zimine (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 7 - Cell 2
9Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 8 - Cell 2
10Cyrille Patoux (Fra) FranceRow 9 - Cell 2
11Yannick Martinez (Fra) La Pomme MarseilleRow 10 - Cell 2
12Laurent Pichon (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 11 - Cell 2
13Pierre Drancourt (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 12 - Cell 2
14Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 13 - Cell 2
15Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 14 - Cell 2
16Steve Houanard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 15 - Cell 2
17Jimmy Raibaud (Fra) FranceRow 16 - Cell 2
18Bruno Saraiva (Por) Team Differdange - Magic-Sportfood.deRow 17 - Cell 2
19Romain Matheou (Fra) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 18 - Cell 2
20Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-EuphonyRow 19 - Cell 2
21Steven Caethoven (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda'sRow 20 - Cell 2
22Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 21 - Cell 2
23Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) La Pomme MarseilleRow 22 - Cell 2
24Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 23 - Cell 2
25Jonathan Thire (Fra) Auber 93Row 24 - Cell 2
26Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 25 - Cell 2
27Johan Mombaerts (Fra) Auber 93Row 26 - Cell 2
28Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 27 - Cell 2
29Clément Koretzky (Fra) La Pomme MarseilleRow 28 - Cell 2
30Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 29 - Cell 2
31Jules Pijourlet (Fra) FranceRow 30 - Cell 2
32Rafaa Chtioui (Tun) Team EuropcarRow 31 - Cell 2
33Sébastien Duret (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 32 - Cell 2
34Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Fra) FranceRow 33 - Cell 2
35Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 34 - Cell 2
36Jimmy Turgis (Fra) FranceRow 35 - Cell 2
37Quentin Bertholet (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit AgricoleRow 36 - Cell 2
38Julien Guay (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 37 - Cell 2
39Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La MondialeRow 38 - Cell 2
40Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 39 - Cell 2
41Olivier Chevalier (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit AgricoleRow 40 - Cell 2
42Romain Combaud (Fra) FranceRow 41 - Cell 2
43Yohan Cauquil (Fra) La Pomme MarseilleRow 42 - Cell 2
44Benjamin Giraud (Fra) La Pomme Marseille0:00:10
45Guillaume Malle (Fra) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 44 - Cell 2
46Loïc Desriac (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole0:00:20
47Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator0:00:23
48William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 47 - Cell 2
49Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator0:00:26
50Fabien Schmidt (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole0:00:37
51Yohan Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne0:00:45
52Kevin Lalouette (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 51 - Cell 2
53Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 52 - Cell 2
54Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 53 - Cell 2
55Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-EuphonyRow 54 - Cell 2
56Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator0:00:59
57Justin Van Hoecke (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit AgricoleRow 56 - Cell 2
58Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 57 - Cell 2
59Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller0:01:12
60Franck Vermeulen (Fra) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 59 - Cell 2
61Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda'sRow 60 - Cell 2
62Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator0:01:26
63Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat0:01:28
64Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 63 - Cell 2
65David Lelay (Fra) Saur - Sojasun0:01:53
66Remco Broers (Ned) Team Differdange - Magic-Sportfood.deRow 65 - Cell 2
67Steven Tronet (Fra) Auber 93Row 66 - Cell 2
68Ronan Racault (Fra) Auber 93Row 67 - Cell 2
69Renaud Dion (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 68 - Cell 2
70Etienne Briard (Fra) FranceRow 69 - Cell 2
71Tomasz Olejnick (Pol) Veranda Rideau - Super U0:02:45
72Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony0:02:49
73Florent Barle (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne0:02:56
74Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En LigneRow 73 - Cell 2
75Romain Lemarchand (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 74 - Cell 2
76Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 75 - Cell 2
77Christophe Laborie (Fra) Saur - Sojasun0:04:18
78Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 77 - Cell 2
79Thomas Degand (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's0:05:51
80Tom Thill (Lux) Team Differdange - Magic-Sportfood.deRow 79 - Cell 2
81Arnaud Gerard (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat0:05:55
82Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda'sRow 81 - Cell 2
83Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar0:05:57
84Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ-Big MatRow 83 - Cell 2
85Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:06:00
86Tom Skujins (Lat) La Pomme MarseilleRow 85 - Cell 2
87César Bihel (Fra) Team Differdange - Magic-Sportfood.de0:10:58

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