Published on : 09/13/2026
Cofidis played an active role in the finale before the team organised around Milan Fretin in the closing kilometres of the Grand Prix de Fourmies. In a particularly nervous finale marked by several crashes, the Belgian was unable to find an opening in the sprint and finished 12th.
The riders faced 193 kilometres through the Avesnois region on Sunday, starting and finishing in Fourmies, before five laps of the final circuit. Rain made an appearance during the race, leaving the roads slippery and making the final part of the race particularly tricky.
At the front, five riders entered the final circuit with a lead of around two minutes over the peloton. The gap gradually came down before the breakaway was caught with 34 kilometres to go. A series of attacks then followed.
With 20 kilometres remaining, a group of around twenty riders broke clear, including Piet Allegaert and Nicolas Debeaumarché. After several more attacks and a regrouping in the final kilometres, the team organised around Milan Fretin. Piet Allegaert in particular did a lot of work to position his teammate ahead of the sprint.
The tension increased further in the final kilometre, with several crashes in the closing hundreds of metres. Well positioned approaching the finish, Milan Fretin was disrupted by a movement in the peloton and was unable to fully contest the sprint. He finished 12th at the Grand Prix de Fourmies.
The race also marked Stanisław Aniołkowski’s return to competition after being sidelined with injury since June.
Reaction:
Sébastien Hinault, Sports Director:
“We saw a great effort from the whole team throughout the day, particularly from Jan Maas to control the breakaway. Then we tried to put Milan Fretin in the best possible position for the sprint. He was very well placed, on the winner’s wheel, but unfortunately he got knocked slightly by a movement in the peloton. He lost all his speed and any chance of getting a good result in the sprint. He finished 12th, and that’s not what we came here for.”