Today, John Degenkolb (GER) took  Argos-Shimano’s third victory in 10 days at the 63rd Paris-Bourges. The race was dominated by a five-rider breakaway but the pace was always under control, with the team keeping a close eye on the gap all day.

A strong chase brought the gap down quickly, and with 40 km to go it was already down to 25 seconds.
 

Heading into the final kilometer, the race was all together and moving toward a bunch finish. Degenkolb once again proved he had the fastest legs and took his fifth victory of the season.
 

“I am really happy with today, as it wasn’t an easy race for us for several reasons,” said coach Christian Guiberteau (FRA). “Straight from the start it was really nervous due to the wind. After a lot of attacking a break finally went away and we helped control the pace and stayed in a good position, as there were a few climbs to get over. In the final we controlled the attacks and waited until the last moment to put John in as good a position as possible,” he said.
 

“We rode a really smart race and used the other teams. We didn’t do the normal lead-out, but used our guys to put John on the wheel of Arnaud Demare (FRA). As every race is different, it is not always necessary to start a lead-out. In this case we saw the strength of FDJ and used it to benefit us and to make sure that John had the best position possible to start his sprint.”
 

“We stayed calm today and rode a smart race, and in the end we finished it off with another win,” he said.
 

“I expected a hard race right from the start, with crosswinds,” said Degenkolb. “But five guys rode away early in the race, and then it became easier. In the middle of the race we had a few climbs, and from there on the race was on. The team did a fantastic job today. They protected me very well and we were always in control and responded to the right moves.”
 

“In the end it was a hard fight, but it turned out well. The peloton caught the break with 5km to go. I didn’t have a lead-out train with me here, so I benefited from the FDJ lead-out and was able to start my sprint off the wheel of Arnaud Demare at the right moment,” Degenkolb said.
 

“I really like this kind of race. It’s nice to end the season this way. Now I am looking forward to my last race on the program, Paris-Tours, and I hope to confirm my form again there.”