4 Jours de Dunkerque / Grand Prix des Hauts de France

Stage 4: Maubeuge - Achicourt

FR France Friday 19 May 2023 173.8 km

Kasper Asgreen moves into the leader’s jersey

Kasper Asgreen moves into the leader’s jersey

Traveling from Maubeuge to Achicourt, stage 4 of the French race was touted to be one for the sprinters, and in the end, it came down to a mass gallop, but the undulating terrain and the cobblestone sectors brought some significant changes to the general classification. The main reason for this was Soudal Quick-Step taking the race by the scruff of its neck and applying pressure as soon as the wind picked up, which resulted in a series of riders, including the overall leader, being distanced.

Our team continued to pull hard all the way to the line, where another hectic finale unfolded, with Belgian Champion Tim Merlier coming home in eighth place behind winner Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma). The Wolfpack’s huge work paid off, propelling Kasper Asgreen to the top of the general classification, ahead of teammate and best young rider Ethan Vernon, going into the queen stage of the event, held on the now famous Cassel circuit.

“It was a very hectic stage, due to the cobblestones, but the guys did a fantastic job to keep me, Tim and Ethan out of trouble. On the last sector, the bunch stretched out, I pushed a bit in the crosswinds and a split took place. The guys were fantastic, they pushed hard and it’s thanks to them that I have this jersey now”, said Asgreen, who took to the podium also together with Lars Craps and Ethan Vernon to be awarded the most combative team trophy. “I am happy that Lars joined us at the finish, he did an amazing ride the entire day and kept us out of trouble. It would be nice to keep the jersey and we’ll give it our best for this.”

 

Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images

Race details

1 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
3:44:42
2 Gerben Thijssen
Intermarché - Circus - Wanty
0:00
3 Milan Fretin
Team Flanders - Baloise
0:00
4 Erlend Blikra
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
0:00
5 Paul Penhoët
Groupama - FDJ
0:00
6 Peter Sagan
TotalEnergies
0:00
7 Lorrenzo Manzin
TotalEnergies
0:00
8 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
9 Rüdiger Selig
Lotto Dstny
0:00
10 Alexis Renard
Cofidis
0:00
16 Ethan Vernon
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
34 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
61 Stan Van Tricht
Soudal - Quick Step
0:00
67 Jannik Steimle
Soudal - Quick Step
1:12
68 Bert Van Lerberghe
Soudal - Quick Step
1:12
94 Lars Craps
Soudal - Quick Step
1:36
1 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
12:35:00
2 Ethan Vernon
Soudal - Quick Step
0:06
3 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
0:07
4 Romain Grégoire
Groupama - FDJ
0:07
5 Cees Bol
Astana Qazaqstan Team
0:12
6 Samuel Watson
Groupama - FDJ
0:15
7 Brent Van Moer
Lotto Dstny
0:16
8 Peter Sagan
TotalEnergies
0:18
9 Logan Currie
Bolton Equities Black Spoke
0:19
10 Cedric Beullens
Lotto Dstny
0:26
20 Stan Van Tricht
Soudal - Quick Step
0:50
22 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
1:01
45 Jannik Steimle
Soudal - Quick Step
2:12
82 Bert Van Lerberghe
Soudal - Quick Step
4:54
87 Lars Craps
Soudal - Quick Step
5:24
1 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
31 pt
2 Benjamin Thomas
Cofidis
20 pt
3 Ethan Vernon
Soudal - Quick Step
19 pt
4 Paul Penhoët
Groupama - FDJ
18 pt
5 Romain Grégoire
Groupama - FDJ
16 pt
6 Gerben Thijssen
Intermarché - Circus - Wanty
16 pt
7 Peter Sagan
TotalEnergies
15 pt
8 Niklas Larsen
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
12 pt
9 Max Walscheid
Cofidis
12 pt
10 Samuel Leroux
Van Rysel - Roubaix Lille Métropole
11 pt
11 Tim Merlier
Soudal - Quick Step
10 pt
14 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
9 pt
38 Jannik Steimle
Soudal - Quick Step
1 pt
1 Alex Colman
Team Flanders - Baloise
17 pt
2 Tuur Dens
Team Flanders - Baloise
15 pt
3 Ceriel Desal
Bingoal WB
13 pt
4 Kenny Molly
Van Rysel - Roubaix Lille Métropole
10 pt
5 Damien Girard
Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur
7 pt
6 Pier-André Coté
Human Powered Health
4 pt
7 Geoffrey Soupe
TotalEnergies
3 pt
8 Kasper Asgreen
Soudal - Quick Step
2 pt
9 Logan Currie
Bolton Equities Black Spoke
2 pt
10 Olivier Le Gac
Groupama - FDJ
2 pt
1 Ethan Vernon
Soudal - Quick Step
12:35:06
2 Olav Kooij
Jumbo-Visma
0:01
3 Romain Grégoire
Groupama - FDJ
0:01
4 Samuel Watson
Groupama - FDJ
0:09
5 Logan Currie
Bolton Equities Black Spoke
0:13
6 Alexis Renard
Cofidis
0:21
7 Paul Penhoët
Groupama - FDJ
0:31
8 Per Strand Hagenes
Jumbo-Visma
0:33
9 Lewis Askey
Groupama - FDJ
0:44
10 Stan Van Tricht
Soudal - Quick Step
0:44
32 Lars Craps
Soudal - Quick Step
5:18
1 Soudal - Quick Step 37:45:32
2 Groupama - FDJ 0:32
3 Lotto Dstny 1:10
4 TotalEnergies 1:12
5 Jumbo-Visma 1:14
6 Astana Qazaqstan Team 1:40
7 AG2R Citroën Team 1:47
8 Bolton Equities Black Spoke 1:49
9 Intermarché - Circus - Wanty 2:34
10 Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 3:11

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