Harvey attacks in Dunkirk, Bennett & Townsend mix it in sprint | Video

Sam Bennett makes the podium at the Four Days of Dunkirk through young Belgian Milan Fretin beats him to the stage 1 victory (Photo: Four Days of Dunkirk)

Dean Harvey (Trinity Racing) has put in a strong day out front in the breakaway on the opening stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk on what was his debut at 2.Pro level racing.

However, though Harvey flew the flag for Ireland for much of the 173km stage from Dunkerque to Le Touquet, the Irish sprinters in the field came up short in the hunt of victory in what was a wet finale.

Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) and Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) were both in the mix at the front in the gallop, but young Belgian rider Milan Fretin (Cofidis) was too strong and took the stage, and first leader's jersey of the race.

French 21-year-old Paul Hennequin (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur) went very close to clinching it when he rounded a bend, in the wet, much faster than the others at the front of the peloton with about 1km to go.

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He managed to eke out a small gap and once he realised he was clear he put his head down and went for broke. Displaying a fine turn of power, Hennequin very nearly kept it going all the way to the line, only being passed by Fretin, who relegated the French rider to 2nd place.

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Bennett was 3rd, just behind the winner and runner-up, with Townsend in 6th place. After his breakaway heroics of today, Harvey finished 122nd at 8:20. Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93) was 116th at 3:38.

More to come.

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