Daniel McLay (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) confirmed his status as the biggest British sprinting talent by taking his first professional win on European soil at the big French sprint classics, GP de Denain. With an impressive turn of speed, he came from far back to narrowly pass Thomas Boudat (Direct Energie) in the bunch kick in a beautiful display of power, with Kenny Dehaes (Wanty) failing to do better than third after having been given a great lead-out.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Daniel McLay: With 300m to go, I thought it was over

"It was a long straight line, false flat downhill,” McLay explained. “I was well protected by Florian Vachon and Vegard Breen. With just two teammates, it was not really a train but they positiond me so I could do my sprint. Many teams used their riders early to avoid the echelons. And then suddenly at one point it slowed down. The road was full of guys who sprinted. At 200-300 meters to go, I thought it was over. I just said that it was not necessary to brake and I had to continue my sprint. After that a gap opened in front of me and I sprinted for 20 meters.  I managed to win in the end.

 

"With three riders in front, we did not have to do the work. Therefore we were able to save energy in the group. In the final, I had Vachon and Breen. We stayed in front and although we only had two men to do the train, we won." 

 

"Obviously I'm happy with my first win of the season. This is also my first victory as a professional in Europe. I am a sprinter who could also be good in the classics. So I hope we can do well on the cobbles in the future.

 

"It was a great race from the beginning until end. The team protected me all day and they put me in the best conditions for the finale, especially Florian and Vegard. Everything was very fast during the sprint, it was decided on instinct. I saw the space at the last moment, I went and I focused on the finish line. I was happy but also relieved to be first. This victory is important for any team. The season is still long, we do not stop here.”

 

Florian Vachon said: "Dan was our designated sprinter this morning. We knew he had the capacity to win. We did not hide our ambitions today by putting Julien Loubet on the front to chase the breakaway. With Vegard Breen, we did everything well for to protect him from the wind and bring him to the finish in the best conditions. I was there until three kilometers from the finish. Then Dan did a great sprint. This victory was expected and it will do us a lot of good. We can now go to the next races in Brittany with a little more serenenity."

 

Vegard Breen added: "I wanted to do a good race for the team because I was a little disappointed with my performance in Paris-Roubaix. We protected Dan in the best way. I accompanied him until the last kilometer, I knew he was strong, he made ​​ a nice coup. I am very happy for him and for us.”

 

Sports director Franck Renimel said: "This morning, I told him he had to believe in his chances and that he had a card to play. We showed that we believed in him. I felt confident. Our riders played the game by being present around him all day and Dan finished the job in style, passing through a mouse hole.”

 

Manager Emmanuel Hubert  said: "This win does us good. The work always pays off. The team has improved since last year, it was necessary that our riders managed to win. We have been delayed but now we do not want to stop. It is always complicated to go for the results but we are lucky. We do a sport where the wheel turns. With the win, Dan opens a way and we have to continue."

 

Thomas Boudat gets confidence after near-miss in Denain

"I was a big fight for position because everyone wanted to have a go," Thomas Boudat told Eurosport. "You had to try to stay in the best possible positionto have a chance to win but I was hoping. When I saw Daniel McLay pass me, I knew it was going to be difficult but it does not matter. it was only my fourth race since the World Championships on the track. It is good for the morale. It's nice to finish in front."

 

Kenny Dehaes frustrated after third place in Denain

After the nice second place of Enrico Gasparotto in Brabantse Pijl, Wanty-Groupe Gobert lined up this Thursday in de GP Denain (1.HC), a race for sprinters, with Frederik Backaert, Kenny Dehaes, Tom Devriendt, Danilo Napolitano, Robin Stenuit and Lander Seynaeve. Steven De Neef was the sports director.

 

Kenny Dehaes took the third place of the sprint, his first podium of the season.

 

"I’m happy with this result, but I’m also disappointed because I think that I could do better. The victory was possible today ", Kenny Dehaes said.

 

Boris Dron (ill) and Roy Jans (knee infection) were unable to start the race.

 

We got a classic scenario, first with a breakaway of three riders and the peloton that everything had under control. At 50 kilometres from the finish, the peloton was back together. Despite some attempts, the scene was set for a bunch sprint.

 

The team Wanty-Groupe Gobert prepared the sprint for Kenny Dehaes.

 

"Today, I was the dedicated leader. The team did a great job. That's the first time of the season that I had a train especially for me. Danilo Napolitano was the lead-out man and delivered me in a great position », Dehaes continues.

 

Daniel Mc Lay won the race. Kenny Dehaes took the third place.

 

“I was blocked on the left side of the road. I had to brake twice in the last 250 meters. That's a shame because I think I could really get a better result,”  Dehaes regrets.

 

Wanty-Groupe Gobert’s sprinter got his first podium of the season, the second in two days for Jean-François Bourlart’s team.

 

"That's a good result for the team. I will remember that the shape is good. I had a difficult start because of injuries and illnesses. The loss of Antoine Demoitié was very painful. It was really hard to concentrate again fully on cycling. We worked on our automatisms. I think it is positive for the future,” Kenny Dehaes concudes.

 

Wanty-Groupe Gobert hopes this weekend to keep going with the Dutch classic, the Amstel Gold Race and two races in France, the Tour du Finistère and Tro-Bro Léon. The Tour of Finistère is a special race for the team because former rider Tim De Troyer won last year's race and it was also the only professional victory of the late Antoine Demoitié in 2014.

 

Consistent Baptiste Planckaert extends Coupe de France lead

Baptiste Planckaert was 4th in the GP Denain where he consolidated his leadership in the general classification of the Coupe de France PMU.

 

"I feed a small regret not having been able to win this race because the team did a fantastic job for me in the finale," explained Baptiste Planckaert . "The next two rounds of the Coupe de France take place this weekend on Saturday at the Tour du Finistère and on Sunday at Tro Bro Léon, two races that are not wasy to manage. The Tour du Finistère is hard and the Tro Bro Léon, with its challenging course and gravel roads, is often based on luck. Two punctures and it is over. I will give the best of myself. It's true that the Coupe de France can be a goal for me even though this was not planned at the beginning of the season. Next weekend will be decisive in this respect.”

 

"The finish of the GP Denain did not really suit me well but the whole team did a superb job to protect me well throughout the day. My teammates positioned me very well for the final sprint. I was aiming for at least the podium. I finished 4th, which is OK, but it is not 'top' either. Next weekend will be very important for me and for the team.

 

“I'll see after the next two events if the Coupe de France can become a target. We'll talk again at the Roue Tourangelle.”

 

Lorrenzo Manzin close to big win in Denain

A week after a successful sprint in a stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe, Lorrenzo Manzin took fifth place in the Grand Prix de Denain after a day also marked by the attacks of Alexandre Geniez and Marc Fournier.

 

The good habits are not lost and for his return to competition after the Criterium International, Alexandre Geniez was, like in 2015, the first attacker in the race. He was caught with 50km to go.

 

"It allowed me to make efforts, said Geniez, “and prepare the two races that are next: the Tour du Finistère and Tro-Bro Léon which I like and where I hope to get a result. Today, we did not get enough time for me to believe in the success but it feels good.”

 

Marc Fournier escaped in the finale with Quemeneur (Direct Energie). Their lead did not exceed 30 seconds but the action the winner of the Circuit de la Sarthe allowed his teammates to gather around their sprinter.

 

In a very fast finale, it was not easy but Seb Chavanel and Kevin Reza have Manzin an opportunity to defend his chances in a very nervous sprint where he was boxed in 200 meters from the finish line.

 

"I am satisfied with my troops,” said sports director Thierry Bricaud. “We did a good race and then took care of Lorrenzo who needs to get confidence by doing sprints and he will. I am also content with Kenny Elissonde who did his first race of the year and was never in trouble. He will next ride the Tour du Finistère and then we will decide about his participation in the Tour de Romandie.”

 

Polish sprinter proves his potential in Denain

VERVA Activejet’s Paweł Franczak finished 7th in 2016 GP de Denain (1.HC).

 

As the sprinters trains started to line upm VERVA Activejet riders guided Paweł Franczak into a prime position ahead of the final. The Polish rider launched his sprint first but was overtaken in the final 100 metres and crossed the line in 7th place.
 

“The guys left me in the perfect position for sprint. I went too early, 300 metres to go, but I couldn’t wait any longer. We had quite strong headwind, so I didn’t manage to keep the speed to the line. But I’m satisfied, it is a good result,” Franczak said.

 

Top result for ONE sprinter in Denain

ONE Pro Cycling had a clear objective today to deliver Chris Opie to the finishing line meaning the riders took a back seat whilst the break formed. Kiwi Hayden McCormick took up position at the head of the peloton as the break were given a maximum time advantage of 4 minutes 45 seconds. McCormick worked tirelessly for the rest of the day at the head of the peloton controlling the pace and protecting the rest of the team.

 

With the break caught it meant the peloton once again became lively as a new break looked to establish. With just 38km remaining 2 leaders broke clear with ONE Pro Cycling in charge at the front of the peloton allowing the 2 leaders to gain a maximum advantage of 1 minute and enabling the peloton to settle down once more. The team rode as an 8 man unit on the front of the peloton holding Chris Opie in position and controlling the break away. With pressure being applied once more, the break was caught just 20km later with only 18km remaining. From there on in, a bunch sprint was on the cards and several teams were jostling to position their sprinters in the best possible place.

 

Heading in to the final few kilometres there was no real organisation on the front of the peloton with lead out men scrambling to find their sprinters. Once the sprint opened up Opie became boxed in on the left hand side of the road whilst fellow Brit Dan McLay (Forutneo Vital Concept) found his way through the smallest of gaps to take the victory. Chris Opie finished in a creditable 8th position while Kiwi Dion Smith finished close behind in 13th to round out a good day for the team.

 

The busy racing schedule continues as the Squad from GP Denain travel to France for 33rd edition of Tro Bro Leon on Sunday 17th April, while another squad from ONE Pro Cycling have arrived in Spain for the start of La Vuelta a Castilla y Leon tomorrow. (Friday 15th April).

 

Disappointment for in-form Raymond Kreder in Denain

The sprinters of Roompot - Orange Platoon did not get the expected results. In a frantic sprint, Raymond Kreder got no further than 12th. And after his 4th place last year and fine form in recent weeks, that was a disappointment.

 

Kreder was not well placed in the sprint and had to avoid crashing into the fences, hitting the brakes a few times. Barry Markus also mixed it up. He ended in 21sy place but after his broken collarbone in early February, they are steps in the right direction. Jesper Asselman positioned Markus in the finale and finished 38th . André Looij had to settle for 41st place in the results. In the last 600 meters, he hit the rear wheel of another rider with his leg and then was unable to compete for the medals.

 

Another top 15 for talented Polish sprinter in Denain

Eryk Latoń claimed his third top 15 spot of the 2016 season by taking 15th place in GP de Denain – Porte du Hainaut (1.HC).

 

The CCC Sprandi Polkowice riders did a good job at moving up front and forming its orange train with 5-6km remaining. The lead-out men for Eryk Latoń were unable to hold onto that position until the finish though and other teams took over the lead in the bunch.

 

Latoń kicked off the long sprint from too far back and wasn’t in contention for the win. He finished in 15th, which is his third top 15 place of 2016 after claiming 9th in Clasica de Almeria and 4th in Sobótka.