Another Top 10 Finish for Jenthe Biermans

On home turf, the Cofidis team was eager to shine and hoped for a podium finish at the Grand Prix de Denain on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Well-positioned throughout the 200-km race, Sébastien Demarbaix’s riders came very close to shining. At the finish, Segeart thwarted plans for a bunch sprint in Denain, and Jenthe Biermans claimed 8th place—his second Top 10 finish in two days. 

Sebastien Demarbaix, sport director:  “It took a long time for the breakaway to form. The pace was very fast for 50 to 60 km. A group of 6 or 7 riders broke away, building a maximum lead of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. We had Camille Charret take the lead to secure good positions at the start of the cobbled sections, which he did really well. We closed the gap on the breakaway a bit. Up front, there weren’t really any major moves. We stayed in a good position until the last 20 kilometers. With 20 km to go, when we got back onto the main roads, there was a big move involving a group of 7 or 8 riders and the big names we’d mentioned for today. 

We didn't have the legs to keep up with that breakaway. We managed to catch up and sprint for second place because Segaert went all the way to the finish up front. We have Jenthe Biermans coming in for a respectable 8th place. We lost Hugo Page in the final kilometers due to a minor crash, and we also lost Alexis Renard with 2 km to go because of a small mechanical issue. I think Alexis could have also sprinted for a top-10 finish. Now, what I take away from this is that the team was always very consistent, always in a good position. We saw a great performance from Hugo. He had a fantastic race. The plan was for him to break away early. He found himself at the front a few times. We know Jenthe is a reliable rider and that he’s often there to secure a spot. We’re a little disappointed because we came here aiming for a podium finish and fell just short. The team remains really tight-knit. We were in a good position all day, so it’s hard to criticize any one rider. They put in another strong performance. We’re always missing that little something to make it to the podium or win a race. I hope that comes soon.”