Trek Factory Racing’s Fabio Felline won an exhilarating finish in the Grand Prix de Fourmies-La Voix du Nord Sunday, holding off the peloton in the final meters to take a nail-biting victory.

Felline joined a late escape group that formed around 25 kilometers from the end of the 205-kilometer race and gained 30 seconds lead. But behind a disorganized peloton never closed the gap and allowed the group enough room to battle out the finale.

“I could see the gigantic [TV] screen in the last hectometers, it was really absurd,” Felline explained. “I could see how close [the peloton] was at the end, and then I could see I was going to make it.

“I believe I initiated the break of 17 riders that went away, maybe with 25 kilometers to go. We went really hard, we all wanted to go all in - it’s a one day race so there was no reason to hold back. In the last lap, we had 20 seconds, and I thought to myself that I need to anticipate when it drops under ten seconds.

With the fast charging peloton only seconds behind there was no time for more cat 'n mouse games; it was a do-or-die move.

“At 3 kilometers I tried for the first time, but the others took me back. Then Pozzato went, but he didn’t go far; I closed it down and went again and Cocquard jumped to me, but I went again. Three times total.”

Felline’s last move came with 1.5 kilometers to go, and at the same moment a crash occurred in the breakaway group as Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida) tumbled to the tarmac, causing a little more chaos in the frenzied finish.

Unimpeded, Felline put his head down and aimed for the finish line – with the fast charging peloton only seconds behind there was no time for more cat 'n mouse games; it was a do-or-die move.

“When Cocquard came, I saw that he did a sprint to get to me, so I accelerated again and got away. The last kilometer the pain was screaming in my legs," he said.

If Felline was caught, Trek Factory Racing still had an ace up its sleeve with Giacomo Nizzolo ready to contest the sprint. But there was no need: Felline powered around the final curves and in the last meters he knew he had the sweet victory in one of the hardest – and most exciting – ways to win a race. 

“Today we started with two plans, both Giacomo and I could play our own game. In the last 30-40 kilometers it was guns out, a real war,” continued Felline.

“It was a rough day, all in all. The first 50 kilometers were very fast and then I broke a wheel! I had to chase back, which took a lot out of me. I think I spent a total of 15k chasing. Calvin Watson was working the whole day with other teams to keep the break close, he did a great job. This is a victory for me, but also for the whole team. After having a really good spring, I have been waiting for months for this. I’m very, very happy today. Now on to Canada, two races that could be good for me.”

After the race team director Alain Gallopin heaped praise on the Italian for his savvy tactics:

“We knew we had two cards to play and the plan was to use them,” echoed director Alain Gallopin. “We had a similar situation in Plouay and I wish Fabio had raced there the way he did today. He played the ending perfectly today. He was confident, he tried, and won. I’m very happy for the win.”

“We had Giacomo [Nizzolo] for a bunch sprint, but that doesn’t always happen here. Think of how Lars Bak won here before: just by anticipating. Fabio knew he had to follow a medium sized group, especially if there was someone like Pozzato or Kwiatkowski in there. These are the kind of riders he needed to watch, and he was there when 17 riders went, including a very fast man like Cocquard. They never had much gap: 30, 20 seconds, then 10, then maybe just five. He played it the best way possible - it was an exciting victory.”