Known as being one of the fastest races on the UCI calendar, the 1.HC race experienced its fastest race to date with the pace averaging 50 km/h. Within the first 10 kilometers of the start in Chartres, more than 30 riders escaped on the 231-kilometer race. They kept the pace high and quickly built a sizeable gap, which caused the chasing peloton to shatter.

Team Novo Nordisk’s Andrea Peron made the front group but a poorly timed mechanical saw him lose position. His teammate Martijn Verschoor made the second chase group, but the high pace proved too much for the field. The chase was never able to reel back the initial breakaway.

As the front group closed in on Tours, several riders attacked with the race coming down to Matteo Trentin (Etixx-Quick Step), Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto Soudal) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team). Trentin sprinted to victory with Verschoor coming in 61st.

“I tried to jump up to the first group with (Niki) Terpstra, but we just could not make it,” Verschoor said. “We went full gas for over three hours. In the end, I felt okay but it was really hard. I’m still lacking some power since my crash.”

Matteo Trentin (Etixx-Quick Step) took the win ahead of Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto Soudal). Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) finished four seconds behind for third place.

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team, returns to racing on Tuesday at the Tour of China II. Stage 2 is a 131-kilometer circuit race around Lang Shan.