One month after his win at the GP de Denain, Daniel McLay (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) again proved that he is a future top sprinter by winning the GP de la Somme. Despite suffering a puncture inside the final 20km, the Brit beat no less of a figure than Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) in the bunch sprint after a wet and hard race while Yannis Yssaad (Armee) rounded out the podium.

We have gathered a few reactions.

Daniel McLay: The team decided to work 100% for me.

"The team chose to stake everything on me today,” Daniel McLay told Directvelo. “There was no wind so we thought that the race was going to end in a bunch sprint. But it was not easy for our team, with riders who crashed and abandoned (Jarrier Benoit and Julien Loubet, ed.). I had to change bike about 20 kilometers from the finish.

”I feel good right now. I was confident and I could won for the second time this season after the GP Denain. I'm glad.”

Talented French sprinter on the podium in GP de la Somme

"I started early,” Yanniis Yssaad told Directvelo. “They came over me when I launched my sprint so I was a little off the pace. This is not yet the best form so I hope it will be better for the future. My goal is to win a øreal’ pro race in the coming weeks [he won at the Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour last Sunday, ed.]"

Auber 93 strongman on the attack at the GP de la Somme

Flavien Dassonville (HP BTP-Auber 93) was in the break.

"I had a lot of strength today,” he told Directvelo. “We were seven so we had the opportunity to go far. In the group, there was soon disagreement. Maxime Daniel did not want to work 35km from the finish so it was complicated. I decided to restart the race. Then we were four. We gave everything but it was just too difficult.”

Direct Energie youngster shows himself at the GP de la Somme

Guillaume Thevenot (Direct Energie) was in the break.

"It was a complicated day because the roads were hard. I feel good on this type of course. I attacked at the bottom of the climb but I knew I was not going to win. I have not done the KOM sprints because I wanted to save energy for the final battle. The problem is that Maxime Daniel (AG2R La Mondiale) refused to work and we lost a minute due to that. It's a shame because there was headwind in the final and the teams struggled to organize themselves. Without this minute, we might have been able to stay away. It is really a pleasure to be in front and be able to influence the race. This makes me happy."

FDJ sprinter misses out at the GP de la Somme

For FDJ, Lorrenzo Manzin missed his sprint but the team did a great race with Cédric Pineau in the break.

"We had plans to be part of a small group that could chase the victory, explains sports director Thierry Bricaud. “ That's why we were offensive. We were in all the breakaways.”

Kévin Reza was on the attack shortly after the start, then Johan Le Bon went and Lorrenzo Manzin was also in a group. It was not until the 78km had been covered that the break was formed from the initiative of Cédric Pineau.

"The guys did the race I expected from them, explains Bricard. “And Cedric confirmed his return to a high level after the surgery on an artery that he underwent during the winter. We could not avoid a bunch sprint and Lorrenzo Manzin did miss the sprint as he has done a lot this season.”