Two days after Nacer Bouhanni’s win at the Tour de Vendee, Arnaud Demare (FDJ) showed that he is also ready to lead France at the World Championships in Qatar when he powered to victory in the cobbled uphill sprint at Binche-Chimay-Binche. Together with Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep) and Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Soudal), he managed to follow Greg Van Avermaet’s (BMC) big attack in the final kilometre and then launched a long sprint to hold Stybar off in a drag race to the line. Roelandts came around Van Avermaet to take the final spot on the podium.

 

We have gathered a few reactions.

 

Demare: This will do me good for the Worlds

Arnaud Démare gave the FDJ team the twentieth win of the season. After a phenomenal job of his teammates, the winner of Milan-San Remo beat Zdenek Stybar in the sprint.

 

On Sunday night, there was frustration in the FDJ camp after the Tour de l’Eurometrople and sports director Frédéric Guesdon did not have to search for words to motivate his troops. Today, his riders were impeccable!

 

70 kilometers from the finish, they found together and led the chase behind the breakaway. In the last two laps, the attacks were numerous but Yoann Offredo impressively controlled everything. In the beginning of the sprint, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Soudal) and Stybar (Quick Step-Etixx) got clear but after getting positioned by William Bonnet, Arnaud Démare remained vigilant. Following the three riders, he produced his effort 300 meters from the line and maintained the speed all the way to the finish.

 

"I watched the videos of this race from the last two years,” explains Demare, “and I saw that the sprint was done from the final turn which is what I did. I did not wait. This victory rewards the hard work of my teammates who controlled the race. The form has been there for a while but I could not win. I'm happy because I have good legs. It'll do me good before the Worlds.

 

"It was a strange sprint – I knew we had a corner before the finish and decided to launch my sprint going into the corner. The team worked really well and I knew I was in good shape.

 

"I felt good and did a nice sprint. I had studied the final of the previous editions and therefore knew what was going to happen. I took the turn and no longer doubted four hundred meters from the finish line."

 

"It promises to be a very good World Championships. This race was a great workout. I feel that every rider of our team is reaching the best Worlds form.

 

”Bouhanni and I are both in good form, both have good legs at the moment. We'll see what happens, but I think we'll work well together.”

 

In-form Roelandts ready for Worlds after third place in Binche

Lotto Soudal had Lars Bak make it into the breakaway during a very fast first hour. Among others Tosh Van der Sande tried to bridge the gap to the front of the race but the peloton reacted immediately. Later other riders tried to get away with among others Jens Debusschere, but the peloton responded to every attempt.

 

Greg Van Avermaet decided to attack inside the final two kilometres, Jürgen Roelandts joined him together with a few other riders. Roelandts endured no troubles after his crash in the Tour de l’Eurométropole and he obtained a nice third place.

 

Sports director Mario Aerts said:

 

“We can be happy with the result and the way of racing today. It’s always better to take the victory of course but a podium place is also a good result. The outcome of the race was perfect for us.

 

”Lars Bak was part of the breakaway, Tosh Van der Sande and Jelle Wallays countered a lot of attempts in the finale. Also Jens Debusschere rode a very good race.

 

”During the Tour de l’Eurométropole last Sunday, Jens Debusschere and Jürgen Roelandts really showed that they are in great shape. Our aim was to enter the final cobbled section with Jens and Jürgen, but Jens already did a big effort to follow Oliver Naesen in the beginning of the final local lap. Jürgen was able to accelerate after the final corner, but unfortunately Arnaud Démare started his sprint whilst Jürgen and Greg Van Avermaet were hesitating a bit so he took the victory. Jürgen finished at the third place and that’s a great result.

 

”Both Jens and Jürgen showed during the past few races that they are ready for the World Championships in Qatar. It was unclear whether Jürgen would endure some troubles after his crash in the Tour de l’Eurométropole, but everything turned out well. Paris-Tours will be the final preparation with the World Championships in mind.”

 

Van Avermaet: If you don’t try, you don’t win

Greg Van Avermaet raced for the final time on home soil in Belgian for the 2016 season at Binche-Chimay-Binche where he powered to fourth place on the cobbled circuit finish.

 

Countless attacks played out, with Jempy Drucker and Floris Gerts in the mix, but it was Van Avermaet who was well-positioned going in the final kilometers.

 

Arnaud Demare (FDJ), the eventual winner, and Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep) battled it out for the win, with Jurgen Roelandts and Greg Van Avermaet fighting for the last place on the podium.

 

BMC Racing Team will race for the last time in Europe this season at Paris-Tours this Sunday, 9 October.

 

Greg Van Avermaet said:

 

“I tried to attack in the last kilometer on cobbles to get away from the pure sprinters. Only four guys could follow me and I ended up with Jurgen Roelandts going for third place. I tried to win but it wasn’t happening today. I’m pretty happy with the race and how I went. If you don’t try, you don’t win so I gave it a go. I’m feeling good though ahead of Paris-Tours. It is different with no climbs.

 

"Demare deserves his victory. I gave everything to win but it was not to be. Now I focus on Paris-Tours on Sunday. Traditionally it is a nice course with an interesting final. "

 

Sports director Yvon Ledanois added:

 

“When the two riders went clear in the breakaway, there were also 2 riders chasing behind. A lot of teams were wanting us to pull as this is normal when you have a mix of big and small teams, but it wasn’t our responsibility to start pulling with 140km remaining. We sent one rider up the front and once the breakaway had a 10-minute advantage some of the other teams started to send guys up the front.

 

“I said to the guys that we need to try some different options in the final. Jempy Drucker jumped in a move with 5 riders that looked good. Afterwards we had Taylor Eisenhart and Fabian Lienhard doing a good job pulling, and Dylan Teuns and and Loic Vliegen working for the leaders. With 3km to go Floris Gerts pulled full gas, and Jempy positioned Greg well for the finale. Arnaud Demare is a big sprinter so it’s always hard to overcome a good sprinter with that sort of finish. Greg was strong and he tried really hard in the finale. I’m happy with today’s result. The team worked hard and did a good job.”

 

No glory for Roompot in Binche-Chimay-Binche

The riders of Roompot - Orange Platoon showed themselves well in the final part of Binche-Chimay-Binche. Several members of the team went on the attack but they did not get any real places of honor. Jesper Asselman finished just outside the top fifteen of the penultimate match of the Napoleon Games Cycling Cup.

 

Huub Duijn managed to bridge the gap to a strong breakaway of six but they were soon caught. Then the team focused on the sprint where Jesper Asselman finished 16th as best Dutchman.

 

Sick Hofland abandons on bad day for LottoNL-Jumbo in Binche

Mike Teunissen placed 17th in the Belgian classic Binche-Chimay-Binche sprint, but that was not what the team was hoping for. Frenchman Demare (FDJ) won on the cobblestones in Binche ahead Stybar (Etixx) and Roelandts (Lotto). 

 

"Today was a strange race, normally it is a hard race here, but this time it was quite calm,” Teunissen said. “It seemed as if the whole peloton wanted to make it an easy day. I actually had hoped for a tough race. We tried with a number of other teams to speed up the pack, but it didn’t work.”

 

When an early breakaway was caught, a number of riders tried to escape.

 

"Maarten Wynants showed that he is still in shape by attacking in the final. The peloton did everything to bring a sprint, though,” Teunissen added. "In the sprint, it went well at first. Vanmarcke, Van Winden, Van Asbroeck and I were good together. In the last kilometre, it went wrong when I lost the wheel. Vanmarcke and Van Winden put Van Asbroeck in a good position, but he didn’t have enough left to sprint. I kept on driving and I ended up just inside the top 20 on the line. It’s not the result we came for. "

 

Teunissen remained a few places behind Van Asbroeck and crossed the line before Van Asbroeck.

 

“In cycling, the result of your best rider counts. Today, that was not good enough,” Sports Director Frans Maassen said. "We gambled on a sprint with Van Asbroeck and it looked good. It sucks that it then went wrong in the last kilometre."

 

The passive race was definitely not a disadvantage, according to the director.

 

"Van Winden and Hofland were not quite fit and Sep Vanmarcke has recently become a father so it was a good thing it wasn’t a hard race. Unfortunately, Hofland could not continue the battle with stomach problems and we lost our fast man.

 

“The men were looking forward to this race and were fired up for a good result. Unfortunately, the result didn’t come."

 

Fortuneo-Vital Concept off the pace in Binche

For Fortuneo-Vital Concept, Boris Vallée was forced to abandon and could not defend his chances in the final. Franck Bonnamour was the best rider for the team but he finished far from the best positions.

 

Bonnamour said:

 

"It's a great race even if there was not really room for attackers today. The peloton controlled and then went to war on the last climb. I got a little injured last Sunday in Cannes but I still finished in the pack. I am motivated until Sunday for Paris-Tours, the last race of the season. I started my season in January at the Tour de San Luis so the head and the legs need a break. I plan to have a week off the bike and then return to sport before starting the training for the next season.”