Dutchman Arvid De Kleijn (Human Powered Health) was still in good shape in the provisional general classification with two stages to go in the 4 Days of Dunkirk, even though he had lost the pink jersey on Friday. Things went less well on Saturday as Quebec’s teammate Pier-André Côté finished at 86and stage rank and he slipped to 72and general level.
Posted at 2:23 p.m.
“We knew it was going to be a more difficult stage for Arvid today [samedi], it was not a course for sprinters. The first 60 kilometers went well, but there were a lot of climbs on the Cassel circuit. It was fun to have the pink jersey for a few events, but we suspected that it would be difficult to keep it after the fifth stage,” explained Côté.
Having been alongside the Dutchman for part of the race on Saturday, Côté finally crossed the finish line in 21and square (+27 seconds). A satisfying run for the 25-year-old who believes he should have been in extraordinary shape to break through the top 20.
“I’m still happy with what I was able to do. the top 20 was very tough. The pace was high, but I managed to pull it off at times, without necessarily putting out an incredible performance. I was happy to be in the lead group just before the final, it’s not incredible, but it confirms that I’m in good shape,” added Côté, who is now 17.and in the provisional general classification.
I’m happy with my effort and it’s a really good sign for the rest of the calendar. I know that I am capable of performing on difficult circuits.
Pier-Andre Côté
Belgian Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Fénix) won the fifth stage in a sprint of six cyclists. He was just ahead of his compatriot Oliver Naesen (AG2R Citroën) and the Briton Jake Stewart (Groupama – FDJ).
With only one stage to complete in France, the objective of the Human Powered Health training is simple: to seek a second stage victory after that obtained by Arvid De Kleijn as a curtain raiser.
” Tomorrow [dimanche], it will be flat as a cake, we are going 100% for Arvid. We will make sure to position him well for the final sprint. It would be nice to end the event with another stage victory. »
Simone Boilard finishes close to the top 10 in Brittany
Quebecer Simone Boilard (St-Michel – Auber93 WE) did well in the Tour de Bretagne (2.1) where she finished 21and rank (+6 seconds) of the last stage disputed on Saturday between Rennes and Vitré. The cyclist from Quebec has, by the very fact, taken the 12and rank in the general classification of the competition.
“There were ups and downs, it was a big challenge for me to take part in the Tour de Bretagne just after the Elsy Jacobs Festival. It’s been a long time since I’ve driven so much in such a short time. I realized that my feelings were very good. I’m super happy with my third place in the second stage, it feels good. I have also learned a lot in the last 10 days, there is something positive that will come out of this sequence, ”explained Boilard in an interview with Sportcom.
Italian Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) won the Tour ahead of French Cedrine Kerbaol (Cofidis Women) and New Zealander Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance – NXTG).
Adele Normand (33and) and Josephine Péloquin (53and) from the Emotional fr-Tornatech-GSC Blagnac VS31 team were the other two Quebecers to complete the Tour de Bretagne. Their teammate Laury Milette was forced to retire on Friday during the fourth stage.