The jersey remains in the Quick-Step team, however outnumbered, since the 28-year-old Northerner succeeds Rémi Cavagna.
Third member of the Belgian formation, Julian Alaphilippe, for his return to racing, completed the 240 km in the peloton.
Two months after his fall with a severe toll (hemopneumothorax and multiple rib and scapula fractures) in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the double world champion even helped Sénéchal plug a hole 10 kilometers from the finish in the only slight difficulty of the circuit, the Côte de la Séguinière, where Cofidis launched the decisive movement with Benjamin Thomas.
Isolated in the lead with the roller-tracker, Florian Sénéchal was joined by a counter group of three including Anthony Turgis, a good finisher as evidenced by his second place in Milan San-remo in the spring.
Despite the efforts made in the lead and the numerical superiority of Cofidis, also represented by the young Axel Zingle, the Cambraisien was the fastest.
He deprives his ex-northern formation of the tricolor knitting which has always eluded him since its creation in 1997.
"We knew Florian was fast in the sprint so we kept him in the last shot", deciphered Julian Alaphilippe even if Sénéchal, seeing the big favorite Arnaud Démare in difficulty, did not wait for a grouped finish.
"I can't say that I had a lot of fun but I was better than I thought so I'm happy", delivered Julian Alaphilippe five days before the big start of the Tour de France in Copenhagen where his presence remains to formalize.
© 2022 AFP