With Marko Kump being the first rider across the line in 17th, Tinkoff-Saxo didn't come away from today's first stage of the 4 Days of Dunkirk with a great result. However, the team had four riders in the front group on the very windy day in France and so kept its tactical options open for the upcoming hard stages.

A hectic day in the windswept Northern France created havoc in the peloton that split into two big pieces in the crosswinds during stage 1 of 4 Jours de Dunkerque. The stage was won by the talented young French sprinter Arnaud Démare from FDJ. Tinkoff-Saxo had four riders in the first group – a number that pleases DS Tristan Hoffman.
 
“Today was really windy. Mørkøv, Valgren, Kump and Hansen finished in the front group. This is important for the upcoming stages and it means that we have different tactical possibilities for the overall classification”, says Hoffman after the riders crossed the finish line.
 
Manuele Boaro established the early breakaway together with three riders. He managed to win the mountain’s jersey by doing well in the hilly mid-stage section before the breakaway was dragged in by a pursuing peloton. The Dutch sport director admits that the break didn’t stand a chance as soon as the peloton got fragmented. 
 
“After the hilly section the riders hit the cross-wind on the flat roads. The peloton was ripped apart and the front group quickly caught the breakaway due to a very high pace. The second group crossed the line with a deficit of 12 minutes after the two groups had fought for 100 kilometers. So it’s sure to say that on a day like this, where Northern France shows itself from its most demanding side, it always gets very tough”, finishes Tristan Hoffman.