Coquard the big cheese in Paris-Camembert
Europcar rider tops Dumoulin, Pichon in the sprint
As soon as his Europcar teammates crossed the line in Vimoutiers, Bryan Coquard apologized that his weight in Camembert wouldn't make much cheese to share, as this was historically the winner's price of the old French semi-classic. The little Frenchman, 58kg, scored his fourth victory this year after two stages of the Etoile de Bessèges and the Route Adélie.
The 75th Paris-Camembert propelled Coquard into the lead of the French cup, but runner up Samuel Dumoulin of AG2R-La Mondiale keeps one more overall victory in sight. Laurent Pichon of FDJ.fr completed the podium fully occupied by representatives of French Pro Teams.
"This morning at the start, we were scared that we'd have to assume the responsibilities in the race but we haven't had to do it," enjoyed Coquard who watched the AG2R-La Mondiale do most of the work chasing behind the five breakaway riders Alexandre Blain (Raleigh), Franck Vermeulen (Roubaix-Lille Métropole), Moreno De Pauw (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Alo Jakin (BigMat-Auber 93) and Fabio Chinello (Area Zero Pro Team).
In the hills around Vimoutiers in the beautiful and sunny Normand countryside, local rider Anthony Delaplace (Bretagne-Séché Environnement) launched a strong attack in the Mur des Champeaux but got chased down by Coquard's teammate Alexandre Pichot who is also from Normandy. Another Europcar rider, Maxime Médérel, was the last attacker of the day, prior to the regrouping of twenty-five men for an unexpected bunch sprint.
"Had Médérel passed the top of the last hill alone, I don't think he'd have been caught," Coquard suggested. "I struggled in the climbs, but I managed to hold on."
"We knew that we had to get rid of Coquard to have a chance of winning," Dumoulin commented. "He had attacked a few times in the hills, so we hoped that he'd blow at the end but he didn't. I was on his wheel for the sprint but with the head wind and the false flat terrain to finish, he was definitely the strongest."
"I'm not afraid of races over 200km anymore," Coquard added. "I marked FDJ when Anthony Geslin was leading the sprint for Laurent Pichon and I believed I had to go at 200 metres from the line. On this false-flat, it was a bit far out but I felt I had good legs. I'm super happy with the team work. It was as efficient as at the Route Adélie. Last year I finished fifth here behind a breakaway of four and I was disappointed because we didn't understand each other with Pierrot [Rolland]. This time around, I'm happy with my results so far. I was just a bit disappointed with no stage win at Paris-Nice but I've improved in the climbs."
At the difference of Dumoulin, Coquard will not contest the weekend's French cup races as he'll embark to World Tour events Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne, "to gain experience," he said. "It's of another standard of racing but the Amstel Gold Race has a pretty similar terrain as this one here. I'm still in a learning process."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar | 4:41:56 |
2 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Gerry Druyts (Bel) Team 3M | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) BigMat - Auber 93 | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Paolo Ciavatta (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Arnaud Gérard (Fra) Bretagne Séché Environnement | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Bretagne - Seche Environnement | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Team Raleigh | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Théo Vimpere (Fra) BigMat - Auber 93 | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Quentin Jauregui (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Yoann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Bretagne - Seche Environnement | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Florian Guillou (Fra) Bretagne - Seche Environnement | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:00:07 |
26 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:00:21 |
27 | Flavien Dassonville (Fra) BigMat - Auber 93 | 0:00:30 |
28 | Brice Feillu (Fra) Bretagne - Seche Environnement | 0:00:35 |
29 | Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Evan Oliphant (GBr) Team Raleigh | 0:00:40 |
31 | Mark Christian (GBr) Team Raleigh | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Bryan Naulleau (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Morgan Kneisky (Fra) Team Raleigh | 0:02:22 |
35 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:02:35 |
37 | Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Julien Duval (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | 0:02:57 |
39 | José Gonçalves (Por) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Simone Petilli (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne - Seche Environnement | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Steven Tronet (Fra) BigMat - Auber 93 | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Mikael Chérel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:04:03 |
45 | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | César Bihel (Fra) Team Differdange - Losch | 0:05:01 |
47 | Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Pierre Gouault (Fra) BigMat - Auber 93 | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Romain Lemarchand (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Christophe Le Mével (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits | 0:05:04 |
52 | Dimitri Le Boulch (Fra) BigMat - Auber 93 | 0:05:33 |
53 | Peeter Pruus (Est) Rietumu - Delfin | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Yoann Paillot (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | 0:07:20 |
55 | Maxime Vantomme (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:07:22 |
57 | Ian Wilkinson (GBr) Team Raleigh | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Gianluca Mengardo (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Domingos Goncalves (Por) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Antoine Lavieu (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Laurent Mangel (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Rudy Kowalski (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Romain Guillemois (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Johan Coenen (Bel) Team Differdange - Losch | 0:09:13 |
67 | Charly Petelin (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Jens Vandenbogaerde (Bel) Team 3M | 0:09:38 |
69 | Tim Vanspeybroeck (Bel) Team 3M | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Christian Helmig (Ned) Team Differdange - Losch | 0:10:19 |
71 | Sebastiaan Pot (Ned) Team 3M | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Sebastiano Frassetto (Ita) Team Differdange - Losch | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
75 | Fréderic Brun (Fra) BigMat - Auber 93 | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Alo Jakin (Est) BigMat - Auber 93 | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
77 | Alexandre Blain (Fra) Team Raleigh | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
78 | Armands Becis (Lat) Rietumu - Delfin | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Lubos Pelanek (Cze) Team Differdange - Losch | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Andris Smirnovs (Lat) Rietumu - Delfin | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | Edgaras Kovaliovas (Ltu) Rietumu - Delfin | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Liam Stones (GBr) Team Raleigh | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Thomas Rostollan (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Silvio Giorni (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Team 3M | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Gianluca Leonardi (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
89 | Joren Segers (Bel) Team 3M | 0:13:44 |
DNF | Joseph Perrett (GBr) Team Raleigh | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Romain Pillon (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Fabio Chinello (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Franck Vermeulen (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Area Zero Pro Team | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Joaquin Sobrino (Spa) Team Differdange - Losch | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Janis Dakteris (Lat) Team Differdange - Losch | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Dylan Van Zijl (Ned) Team 3M | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne - Seche Environnement | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Julien El Fares (Fra) Team La Pomme Marseille 13 | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Moreno De Pauw (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kevin Suarez Martinez (Bel) Team Differdange - Losch | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Emils Liepins (Lat) Rietumu - Delfin | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Romain Feillu (Fra) Bretagne - Seche Environnement | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jaap De Man (Ned) Team 3M | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Rietumu - Delfin | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Andris Vosekalns (Lat) Rietumu - Delfin | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
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