Former cyclo-cross world champion Zdenek Stybar only started his road season this week, but he has already found success in stage four of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque. The Czech rider attacked in the final kilometers and opened up a convincing gap on the cobbled climb to the line in Cassel.

Stybar came across the line 10 seconds ahead of Carlos Betancur (Acqua & Sapone) while Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) led home the chasing group 15 seconds behind the winner. Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur Sojasun) finished 50 seconds behind but still holds the race lead, now by 43 seconds over Stybar.

“I am super happy about this victory,” Stybar said. “It was not an easy stage, but this morning I really focused to try to do something good.”

“When I chose to ride on the road bike I only listened to my heart and it was the right thing to do. Now I am really, really happy. When I crossed the finish line I couldn’t believe I won the race. I was thinking maybe someone was in front of me. I had to ask if I won or not but when I realized I won, I was over the moon. It was one of best moments in my life.”

Frenchman Jimmy Engoulvent took the overall race leader’s pink jersey after winning the third stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque on Sunday.

The Saur-Saujasun rider managed to stay ahead of fellow breakaway rider Kevin Lalouette (Roubaix Lille Metropole) at the end of the 178.3km circuit around Poperinge in Belgium, with the main peloton coming in at 1:45.

RESULT

1 82 ENGOULVENT Jimmy SAU FRA B:17″ 00″
2 177 LALOUETTE Kevin RLM FRA B:07″ 02″
3 192 JARRIER Benoit VRU FRA B:04″ 20″
4 187 THIRE Jonathan AUB FRA B:01″ ‘ ‘
5 22 BOUCHER David FDJ FRA B:03″ ‘ ‘
6 156 VANDOUSSELAERE Sven TSV BEL B:06″ 36″
7 7 PELUCCHI Matteo EUC ITA 01’45″
8 13 FENN Andrew OPQ GBR ‘ ‘
9 111 DEGENKOLB John ARG GER ‘ ‘
10 94 CORIONI Claudio ASA ITA ‘ ‘
11 37 VAN HUMMEL Kenny RobertVCD NED ‘ ‘
18 161 CAETHOVEN Steven ACC BEL ‘ ‘
21 163 DRUCKER Jean-Pierre ACC LUX ‘ ‘
27 166 ISTA Kevin ACC BEL ‘ ‘
36 165 HABEAUX Grégory ACC BEL ‘ ‘
53 168 VERBIST Evert ACC BEL ‘ ‘

John Degenkolb won his second consecutive stage at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, strengthening his grip on the general classification at the halfway point in the French race.

Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) sprinted to victory for the second day in a row, edging out Omega Pharma-QuickStep duo Zdenek Stybar and Jerome Pineau. FDJ-Big Mat’s Nacer Bouhanni and AG2R-La Mondiale’s Lloyd Mondory rounded out the top five.

Degenkolb’s teammates did most of the work at the front of the chasing peloton after a four-man breakaway by Rony Martias (Saur-Sojasun), Carlos Quintero (Colombia-Coldeportes), Fabien Bacquet (Auber 93) and Franck Vermeulen (Véranda Rideau-Super U) built up a lead of over four and a half minutes with 70km left in wet conditions that made the cobbles perilous.

The quartet were eventually reeled in by the chasers and Degenkolb timed his finishing burst to perfection to consolidate his lead in the GC and Points classifications. Bouhanni is his nearest challenger in the overall standings.

Kevyn Ista was 7th en showed his good shape once again!

Results

1 John Degenkolb (Ger) Argos – Shimano 4:26:46
2 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
3 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
4 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
5 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
6 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
7 Kevin Ista (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
23 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
40 Steven Caethoven (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
58 Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
75 Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
84 Jerome Gilbert (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s
120 Evert Verbist (Bel) Accent Jobs – Willems Veranda’s