Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie) repeated last year’s performance by winning the first stage of the 4 Days of Dunkirk in dominant fashion. After Cofidis had mistimed their lead-out, Adrien Petit positioned Coquard perfectly and he easily held off Raymond Kreder (Roompot) and big rival Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) to take both the stage victory and the leader’s jersey.

We have gathered a few reactions.

Bryan Coquard: This is just the beginning of my preparation for the Tour

"Last year I already won the first stage but there were cobblestones,” Bryan Coquard told L’Equipe. “Today it's different, but I had to heart to finish the work of the team. There was not a guy who did not ride in the wind today and Adrien (Petit) dropped me off perfectly.

“I took four days off after the Amstel Gold Race but I was in great shape, and it is good to start with a win. But this is only the beginning of my preparation for the Tour.”

Cofidis: We did an unintentional lead-out for Coquard

"Unintentionally, we did the lead-out for Coquard,” Cofidis sports director Alain Deloeuil told La Voix du Nord. " It was a bit chaotic finale. Everyone was ready to fight at the front of the pack with these very favorable weather conditions. You pay for the slightest error. We will put the record straight tomorrow.”

Good start for Dehaes and Wanty-Groupe Gobert in Dunkirk

Wanty’s Kenny Dehaes took fifth place and is 8th of the GC.

Sports director Jean-Marc Rossignon was happy after this first stage.

"We had a good day. Tom Devriendt had a puncture in the last kilometers and had to make a huge effort to come back. Someone broke Robin Stenuit's wheel. It was a dangerous finish. Kenny Dehaes got a good result. It could have been better but Bryan Coquard and Nacer Bouhanni are fast 

Young Norwegian gets his chance in Dunkirk

Guided by Sébastien Chavanel, Daniel Hoelgaard who has not had much opportunity to sprint this year, took seventh place for FDJ.

"We have just had a nice Tour de Romandie," explains Franck Pineau who heads the FDJ team with Christophe Mengin. "Here we are less ambitious a team that is in a comeback phase. We will do the sprints with Daniel Hoelgaard and on Sunday our mission will be accomplished if we have won a stage. I think the stage to Cassel on Saturday  suits us best with Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier or Laurent Pichon."

The team had to change the plan for the finale as Johan Le Bon could not do his job in the final kilometre.

"I have a small problem with Marc Fournier who is suffering from tendonitis," continues Pineau. "Yoann Offredo was caught up in a crash 20km from the finish but was not hurt. Well, we were a little anonymous today but we are only at the beginning."

Bad luck for ONE Pro Cycling on first day in Dunkirk

ONE Pro Cycling had numbers at the front as they looked to position Chris Opie of the bunch sprint but a large crash at 18km saw both Opie and Yanto Barker affected with Yanto Barker having to have a prompt bike change. The team rallied round Opie and with some good team work brought him safely back to the peloton with 8km to go, just as he returned Dion Smith required a front wheel change and fought hard to return to the peloton.

As the race ran into the closing stages Matt Goss and Yanto Barker looked to keep Opie out of trouble placing him onto the wheels of the sprinters teams. Running into the final kilometre, Chris Opie was positioned a little too far back and sprinted in to claim 15th position on the line.

Omnium world champion tests himself in sprint in Dunkirk

For Stölting, Lasse Norman Hansen reached the 17th place. Thomas Koep came down in a crash but was able to get back on his bike and finish the stage.

“Thomas is alright,” said Sports Director Jochen Hahn. “He has a bit of road rash, but there are no serious injuries. Jonas came a cropper too, and he managed to get back into the peloton before the finish, that was a strong showing. The boys tried to lead out Lasse in the final, and since we don’t have a real sprinter here, the result is fair enough.”