Published on : 05/24/2026
It was the perfect opportunity for the peloton’s fast men to shine, but this final stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque was marked by crashes for our team. Despite the setbacks, the squad still placed three riders inside the final top 15 overall. Here’s the story of the day.
From Saint-Omer to Dunkerque: this was the route that brought the 2026 edition of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque to a close on Sunday. A total of 189 kilometers and a completely flat profile awaited the riders. Spectators were treated to an exciting finale, with the peloton entering the finish area inside the final 70 kilometers, featuring nine passages over the line and a tricky finishing circuit through the streets of Dunkerque.
As tradition dictates, this final stage was always likely to end in a sprint. The peloton controlled the day’s breakaway, with our riders near the front and taking their share of responsibility in the chase. The final two escapees were eventually reeled in with just five kilometers remaining. From there, it became a battle between the sprint teams for victory.
Still in his trademark aerodynamic position, Benjamin Thomas took on lead-out duties and moved to the front of the peloton. Everyone had those two tight corners before the flamme rouge in mind—an unforgiving sequence that ultimately ended our ambitions for the day. One rider went down, triggering a crash that swept up our own riders. Sam Maisonobe, Clément Izquierdo and Bryan Coquard all hit the ground.
In the general classification, thanks to the three-kilometer rule—which neutralizes time gaps in the event of a crash—Sam Maisonobe finished 8th overall. The team placed two more riders inside the final top 15: Clément Izquierdo ended the race in 12th and Benjamin Thomas in 14th.
Debrief from Sébastien Hinault:
“We come away from today feeling frustrated. We knew this was traditionally a sprint stage, so our focus was on putting Bryan in the best possible position. The guys did that really well.
Then came the crash, 1.2 kilometers from the finish, when a rider went down in a corner and brought Sam, Clément and Bryan down with him. Fortunately, nothing serious. But we missed the chance to achieve a really strong result, which would have crowned what was otherwise a great collective performance.”