Surprise on the cobblestones in northern France: Gautherat wins third stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk after late attack

Pierre Gautherat has won the third stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk. The young Frenchman surprised the field after a day full of cobblestones with an attack in the final kilometer, earning his first professional victory. Axel Zingle finished third, retaining his lead in the general classification.

And that was immediately noticeable, as several splits quickly began to form in the peloton. Still, no real breakaway took shape, and with 90 kilometers to go, the peloton was still together. But that didn’t last long. Eventually, a breakaway of four riders formed, including two from Soudal Quick-Step. This group quickly built a lead of about three minutes over the peloton.

Still, three riders managed to break away, and they weren’t just anyone: Alex Segaert, Ben Swift, and Matis Louvel. The trio built up a lead of just under a minute, but couldn’t extend it further. With 35 kilometers to go, the gap had already shrunk to half a minute, and the attackers were quickly caught.