Michael Valgren Andersen may have just turned professional a few months ago but this week the double winner of the U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege has proved his potential. Today he sealed his overall third place in one of France's biggest stage races, Four Days of Dunkirk.

Today’s 177 kilometer long fifth and final stage of 4 Days at Dunkerque from Saint Pol sur Mer to Dunkerque was dominated by a long-lasting break but the sprinter teams kept the time gap down and another raging sprint gallop seemed inevitable.
 
For Tinkoff-Saxo, the stage was primarily a question of securing Michael Valgren’s spot on the podium while IAM and Giant-Shimano were looking for a stage win as well so they joined forces in front of the pack to reel in the escapees. But the front group riders were working tenaciously hard to make it last and it was a nerve-wrecking game of cat and mouse until the final kilometer.
 
From the front group, Jimmy Engoulvement (Europcar) suddenly jumped away and soloed his way to the finish line and took the stage win. Tinkoff-Saxo’s Michael Valgren finished a few seconds later in the bunch and can celebrate third overall in his pro rookie season.

"We came here for a good GC result and I'm very happy about the outcome," sports director Tristan Hoffman said. "Michael has really impressed everyone here with his strong riding and dedicated determination while the boys have done a fantastic job protecting him throughout the race. It wasn't easy with another long day of rain, wind and narrow roads but we made it and I'm sure Valgren can be very proud about this result in his first pro season."
 
Arnuad Démare (FDJ) won the race.