Grand-Champ (France) (AFP)
Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) won the title of French cycling champion for the third time, Sunday at Grand-Champ (Morbihan).
The Picard, who was favorite in the race, won in a three-rider sprint, ahead of Bryan Coquard and Julian Alaphilippe.
Démare, already winner in 2014 and 2017, brought a seventh title since 2012 to Marc Madiot's team.
In the final, he controlled Alaphilippe's attack 4 kilometers from the finish and was only followed by Coquard.
In the sprint, Démare, in great shape, clearly ahead of his two opponents after the 238 kilometers of a race that turned into "all against Groupama-FDJ".
Marc Madiot's team assumed its responsibilities by controlling both the morning breakaway (with Pierre Latour and Romain Bardet) and the next ten rider counterattack that entered the last hour with less than a minute's lead.
The junction with the leading group of 16 riders was made 7.5 kilometers from the finish before the attack by Florian Sénéchal throwing his teammate Alaphilippe forward.
For 4th place, Clément Venturini settled the sprint, 5 seconds behind the trio, ahead of Anthony Turgis and Rud Molard.
Démare, who was not selected for the next Tour de France in his team organized around Thibaut Pinot, came close to Jean Stablinski's record, titled four times between 1960 and 1964.
Aged 28, the Picard has notably on its list a "monument", Milan-Sanremo in 2016, and two stage victories in the Tour.
© 2020 AFP