Jannik Steimle (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) claimed a surprise victory at the Grand Prix de Denain after the early breakaway held off the favourites in a breathless finale across the cobbles.
Steimle outsprinted breakaway companion Cerial Desal (Bingoal WB), while Dries Van Gestel (TotalEnergies) pipped Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) to third place, 11 seconds down on the escapees.
They had been in a group of nine strongmen that was closing in on the escapees in the finale, but their pursuit was hampered when Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) crashed on the last section of cobbles, bringing De Lie and others down with him.
At that point, Steimle, Desal and Maxime Jarnet (Van Rysel-Roubaix) still had a minute or so in hand on the chasers, and it was clear that they would fight out the victory.
Jarnet was distanced in the closing kilometres, and Steimle’s experience and strength made the difference in the two-up sprint for the win.
Steimle and Desal were the last men standing from an early break of five that built up a lead of three minutes as the race entered the final 30km. By then, Küng had ignited the peloton with his aggression, but despite the efforts of Lotto-Dstny, the favourites never got back on terms with the escapees.
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