Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie) confirmed that he is already back in great condition after he broke his collarbone in a crash in February by taking his first win since the injury at the Coupe de France race, Route Adelie Vitré. After briefly having attacked on the finishing circuit, he won the uphill sprint ahead of Clement Venturini (Cofidis) and Samuel Dumoulin (Ag2r) while Baptiste Planckaert (Wallonie) extended his overall lead in the series.

We have gathered a few reactions reactions.

Bryan Coquard: I have been very strong since I came back from injury
”Since my return to competition (March 19 at the Classic Loire Atlantique ), I really have had a good feeling,” Coquard told L’Equipe. “It is the proof that I have done some serious work during my period of inactivity. In fact, I've only had five days of real break and came back immediately. At my comeback and at the races in Belgium, I felt the form was there. Today I really had the desire to win. Passing the line, I made ​​a little sign in homage to Romain Guyot (who died on March 3 , hit by a truck, ed.). This gesture was his trademark when he won.

”It was strange that I was suddenly in a breakaway in the finale. I found myself in this group and I just managed it alone. Nothing was planned and finally the peloton caught us. I knew it was all going to end in a sprint but I was never under pressure. This is the second time I win here and there are some similarities with my victory in 2014. It should be added that it is also a collective success. I was just surprised by the effort of Clément Venturini in the final meters. Actually, it made ​​me a little scared.

"This is the victory of the team. Everyone has worked all day. Five kilometers from the finish, we found ourselves in front in a small group with Angelo Tulik but it was not voluntary. It was only to follow the attacks. Venturini made ​​me a little scared when he launched his sprint. I had not done my effort. It was like a sprint on the track. After my broken shoulder blade, I stayed calm although I was disappointed to miss Paris-Nice. I worked at home, and since my return I have always been in front.

“I worked hard all winter and I quickly got results by winning two stages in Bessèges. I just regret having missed Paris-Nice that was my goal for the early season. I do not have regrets so far. The recovery is going well. I made ​​a micro break faster than expected and I came back to win. It's not so bad. I will then have other races where I can express myself like Paris-Camembert on Sunday, Circuit de la Sarthe, Brabantse Pijl and Amstel Gold Race. I think there are ways to do something good in the coming weeks. "

Cyclo-cross rider close to big win in Vitré

“With 50 meters to go, I saw myself winning,” Venturini told Directvelo. “But on the line, there was no win. I started a bit too far back even though Loïc Chetout led me out to perfection. I had watched the sprint of Nacer (Bouhanni) last year, and I make the same mistake as him in the end. Initially, we were on the offensive with Loïc and wanted to sprint with Borut (Bozic) and me. We both tried to be vigilant. I always stayed ahead. I feel I have had made a step this season. I started at Cholet-Pays de Loire and Route Adélie de Vitré is only my third race. It is not easy to already be closeto a win. But I feel that there is a way to do nice things this year with Cofidis."

Samuel Dumoulin back on track after illness-marred start to the year

"With the whole team AG2R La Mondiale, we remained compact throughout the race,” Dumoulin told Directvelo. “We also tried to launch attacks. Cyril Gautier attacked on the final circuit. Julien Bérard also found himself in front. Finally, it ended in a sprint. This 3rd place comes after a difficult start to the season. I am satisfied with the result.
 

"This third place is a pleasure. It proves that I found my legs after being kept out of competition because of health problems. Last week at the Critérium International, I had the impression of not having raced for six months. I felt so much envy and freshness and I have a beautiful future race program.

”Today, the team operated well with Julien Bérard and Cyril Gautier very active in the attacks. But perhaps we would have done better by believing in it a bit more in the finale. The sprint of the Route Adélie is never easy to deal with as it is a complicated finale where it is hard to find the right position.

”We have a good group and we can’t have complexes. We will soon celebrate something beautiful.”