After missing out on a stage win the Criterium du Dauphiné, Arnaud Demare received an important confidence boost by winning today's Halle-Ingooigem after finishing off strong work by his FDJ teammates. The Frenchman now sets his sights on the national championships road race and his Tour de France debut.

In less than two weeks Arnaud Demare will line up at his debut Tour de France as the designated sprinter for the FDJ team and today he showed that he is ready for his maiden ride in the world’s biggest race when he won the Belgian semi-classic Halle-Ingooigem. In the race that in 2012 was won by his archrival Nacer Bouhanni, he emerged as the strongest in the final bunch sprint, relegating Kris Boeckmans and Michael Van Staeyen to the minor spots on the podium.

The race is the traditional warm-up race for the Belgian championships and usually has a very strong Belgian national team with most of the foreign-based Belgian stars on the start list and includes several famous Flemish hellingen. However, it is very often decided in a bunch sprint and this year it was again impossible to deny the fast men their shot at glory.

The national team had tried to split the peloton on the finishing circuit that included the Tiegemberg, and brought the final survivor of the early break, Dries Devenyns (Giant-Shimano), back in the process. However, FDJ were always well-placed and finally delivered their fast sprinter to an important win.

"I am very pleased with this victory," Demare told Directvelo. "The team worked throughout the day to bring to the breakaway back. I complimen them, it was a great job from my teammates. They controlled the race from kilometer zero to not let a large group get away. Everyone made ​​his contribution to the win  but it cost a lot of energy. We were only two riders left in the finale. The sprint was not easy. 

"Now I turn my attention to the French championships on Sunday. It is an objective on a course that suits me. Then I will participate in the Tour de France for the first time. I'm reallyhappy, especially since I do not often have the opportunity to race against Cavendish, Greipel and Kittel."