4 Jours de Dunkerque / Grand Prix des Hauts de France

Gil Gelders put in a strong ride on the opening stage of the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque, which started from Sainte-Catherine and concluded in Amiens, the city where Jules Verne resided more than three decades and home to one of the most stunning Gothic cathedrals in the world.

The 22-year-old Belgian, who is in his second year as a pro, was among the first to attack Wednesday afternoon, four riders joining him and forming a strong five-men breakaway. Their maximum advantage didn’t go north of two minutes at any point during the stage, but that didn’t stop the quintet from leaving everything out there in their attempt to hold off the peloton.

Around ten kilometers from the finish, the leaders still had a minute on the chasers, and Gil took some strong turns at the front of the group, forcing the bunch to ramp up their efforts in order to erase the deficit. The catch was made just five kilometers from the finish, and Axel Zingle (Visma-Lease a Bike) took the win, while Gelders went to the podium to receive the most combative rider of the day prize, a well-deserved reward for the Soudal Quick-Step youngster after his impressive ride.

Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images