Lorrenzo Manzin barely had any time to celebrate his first win in the pro ranks as he rushed to the train to head from Tours to Paris. After a competitive race in very difficult conditions, the young sprinter of the FDJ team raised his arms in La Roue Tourangelle, which is part of the Coupe de France race series.

"I am obviously very satisfied," he told Directvelo. "I had a difficult start to the season. I crashed in January at the Tour Down Under. This Roue Tourangelle was ideal to get me back on tract. This is obviously the first time I did this race but I knew the finale as I had done Paris-Tours for U23 riders. I can pass the climbs but you had to have legs. Today, I could smile. 

"Marc Sarreau and I were hired to try to take over from Nacer Bouhanni who won a lot of races. The sprint is a bit of a philosophy of the team. We know that most of the WorldTour races are decided in sprints. It's nice to win. They say I'm a neo-pro but time flies. And riders like Démare, Bouhanni and Coquard won very young. 

"Now I hope the team will continue its momentum. This is the third weekend in a row where we have taken a win. We had a difficult start to the season. We have not been spared from bad luck. I'm happy for the team and for me. I want to be successful in the WorldTour."

"It is a big thing for a team to see one of its youngsters winning his first race," said a delighted sports director Thierry Bricaud. "It is also a moment for him as he was clearly very happy at the podium ceremony."

Held in rainy conditions, the race was first dominated by a breakaway of four riders, including David Boucher who was accompanied Demoitié, Bouvry and D'Hollanders. They were caught 27 kilometers from the finish near the final climbs.

"On the Cote de l'Epan ten kilometers from the finish, they were 25 riders left," Bricaud said. "On the descent, Laporte (Cofidis) crashed and took Coquard (Europcar) with him. In the end, Francis Mourey, Kenny Elissonde and Arnaud Courteille worked well for Lorrenzo who won ahead of Venturini (Cofidis) and Dieteren (Leopard Development). This victory is one for the team."

In the classification of the Coupe de France, Lorrenzo Manzin enters the top 10 and is in third place in the youth standings.