2018 GP de Fourmies-Le Voix du Nord (HC), France
86th edition: Sunday (Dimanche), September 2, 2018
GP de Fourmies podium history | 2017 edition | 2019 edition | Course map
Fourmies - Fourmies, 205 km
Pascal Ackermann wins in Fourmies. Thomas Lo Presti photo
The race: Here's the report from winner Pascal Ackermann's Team Bora-hansgrohe.
Just like yesterday at the Brussels Cycling Classic, the sprinters came to the fore at today’s 86th edition of the Grand Prix de Fourmies. BORA – hansgrohe was very active during the race, often positioned at the front of the peloton to control the advantage of the break. The last few kilometres saw a flurry of attacks, however, at the end of the day it all came down to a mass sprint. After yet another impressive display of teamwork, Pascal Ackermann sprinted to victory ahead of A. Démare and A. Hodeg.
The Route
The route of today’s race remained largely unchanged from the previous year’s parcours. The 205km-long course, which also contained some cobbled sectors, led the riders around Fourmies in the northern part of France. The course was only slightly undulating, which made it suitable for the sprinters in attendance. With 50km remaining, the riders crossed the finish line for the first time. Afterwards, they had to complete 5 laps, each 11km in length, of a local circuit. Shortly before the flamme rouge, the route took a slight downwards turn and a left-hand corner had to be navigated 500m before the finish line, however, the finale was not particularly technical in nature.
Team Tactics
Previous editions of the race have often been decided in a mass sprint, and it was reasonable to expect that the win would be fought out by the fast men yet again this year. Today, the team’s tactics rested upon Pascal Ackermann. After his success at yesterday’s Brussels Cycling Classic, Pascal would try to notch up a second win this weekend. Accordingly, just like yesterday, the team was to work to support and protect the German national champion and bring him safely to the finish line in a favourable position from which to launch his sprint.
The Race
The beginning of the race saw a flurry of unsuccessful attacks. The first four attempts to form the breakaway of the day were quickly reeled back by the peloton, however, after 25km, a five-man group managed to free themselves from the main field. A few kilometres later, two riders gave chase and were able to bridge the gap to the leading group. The escapees led the race for much of the day, however, the teams of the sprinters were careful to ensure that their advantage did not grow too significantly. During the day, BORA – hansgrohe was active at the head of the peloton and, together with the other sprinters’ teams, led the chase after the breakaway. The leading group began to split on the first local lap in Fourmies and a few of the escapees were reabsorbed by the peloton. Ultimately, the efforts of the leading group were to remain in vain, and the remaining escapees were caught with 20km remaining. Shortly afterwards, the attacks came thick and fast from the peloton, with three riders breaking free and establishing themselves at the head of the field. They managed to build up a relatively small lead but their attempts were rendered futile by the chasing peloton. On the final lap the sprinters’ teams upped the tempo and preparations for a fast finale got well and truly underway. In the end, as expected, it all came down to a mass sprint, in which Pascal Ackermann emerged victorious after a fantastic performance by the BORA – hansgrohe riders.
From the Finish Line
“I almost can’t believe it. I’m just speechless. I knew that I’m in good form, but I didn’t expect to win two races on the same weekend. The guys did an excellent job and rode on the front of the peloton for such a long time. At the end of the day, we managed to pull off our plan perfectly and I want to thank my teammates for their fantastic support.” – Pascal Ackermann
“We’re all very happy with today’s win. In the history of the Brussels Cycling Classic and the GP de Fourmies, only one rider, Robbie McEwen, has managed to win both races. And now Pascal [Ackermann] has also achieved this feat. This is a very impressive achievement. From the beginning of the race, the team took responsibility in the field and set the tempo. We did not want to give the breakaway a significant advantage. Aleksejs [Saramotins], Erik [Baška], Peter [Kennaugh] and Juraj [Sagan] did a fantastic job and controlled the race very well. Our leadout duo of Andreas [Schillinger] and Rudi [Selig] brought Pascal into a good position, from where he was able to launch his sprint at the ideal time. The team worked together extremely well and we can be very satisfied with today’s win.” – Christian Pömer, Sport Director
Complete results:
205 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.867 km/hr
| 1 | ACKERMANN Pascal | Bora-hansgrohe | 4hr 46min 56sec |
| 2 | DÉMARE Arnaud | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 3 | HODEG Álvaro José | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 4 | BONIFAZIO Leonardo | Nippo-Vini Fantini | s.t. |
| 5 | LAPORTE Christophe | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 6 | KRISTOFF Alexander | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 7 | VAN POPPEL Boy | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 8 | HOFSTETTER Hugo | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 9 | MINALI Riccardo | Astana | s.t. |
| 10 | SBARAGLI Kristian | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 11 | DUPONT Timothy | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 12 | ISTA Kevyn | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 13 | GABBURO Davide | Amore & Vita-Prodir | s.t. |
| 14 | GUARNIERI Jacopo | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 15 | BOUDAT Thomas | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 16 | DUMOULIN Samuel | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 17 | VAN GESTEL Dries | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 18 | DEHAES Kenny | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 19 | DE VYLDER Lindsay | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 20 | TOUZE Damien | St Michel-Auber 93 | s.t. |
| 21 | TURGIS Tanguy | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 22 | GERTS Floris | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 23 | SÉNÉCHAL Florian | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 24 | MANZIN Lorrenzo | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 25 | DILLIER Silvan | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 26 | SELIG Rüdiger | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 27 | BONNAMOUR Franck | Fortuneo-Samsic | @ 7sec |
| 28 | FEILLU Romain | St Michel-Auber 93 | s.t. |
| 29 | BARBIER Rudy | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 30 | OFFREDO Yoann | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 31 | MULLEN Ryan | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 32 | CORRADINI Michele | Amore & Vita-Prodir | s.t. |
| 33 | DE GREEF Robbert | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 34 | IDJOUADIENE Pierre | Roubaix-Lille Metropole | s.t. |
| 35 | MALDONADO Anthony | St Michel-Auber 93 | s.t. |
| 36 | VUILLERMOZ Alexis | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 37 | VELASCO Simone | Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia | s.t. |
| 38 | NOPPE Christophe | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 39 | DE LAAT Jasper | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 40 | MARTINELLI Davide | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 41 | VAN GENECHTEN Jonas | Vital Concept | 0:12 |
| 42 | SCHÖNBERGER Sebastian | Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia | s.t. |
| 43 | TURGIS Jimmy | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 44 | PEÁK Barnabás | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 45 | CAVAGNA Rémi | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 46 | HONORÉ Mikkel | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 47 | EARLE Nathan | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 48 | BIONDI Turcanu | Amore & Vita-Prodir | s.t. |
| 49 | STÜSSI Colin | Amore & Vita-Prodir | s.t. |
| 50 | VALLÉE Boris | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 51 | COSTA Rui | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 52 | LEVEAU Jérémy | Delko-Marseille Provence | s.t. |
| 53 | TRARIEUX Julien | Delko-Marseille Provence | s.t. |
| 54 | KOZHATAYEV Bakhtiyar | Astana | s.t. |
| 55 | LEVARLET Guillaume | St Michel-Auber 93 | s.t. |
| 56 | HARDY Romain | Fortuneo-Samsic | s.t. |
| 57 | TIVANI German Nicolás | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 58 | LE GAC Olivier | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 59 | VAN GOMPEL Mathias | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 60 | MORIN Emmanuel | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 61 | ZARDINI Edoardo | Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia | s.t. |
| 62 | VAN MELSEN Kevin | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 63 | SAGAN Juraj | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 64 | ASSELMAN Jesper | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 65 | GANNA Filippo | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 66 | VAN DER LIJKE Nick | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 67 | SCHILLINGER Andreas | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 68 | LIETAER Eliot | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 69 | POZZATO Filippo | Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia | s.t. |
| 70 | MARCATO Marco | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 71 | SPRENGERS Thomas | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 72 | DELAPLACE Anthony | Fortuneo-Samsic | s.t. |
| 73 | JAUREGUI Quentin | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 74 | SANTAROMITA Ivan | Nippo-Vini Fantini | s.t. |
| 75 | COUSIN Jérôme | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 76 | KENNAUGH Peter | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 77 | DOMONT Axel | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 78 | ŠTYBAR Zdeněk | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 79 | MORTIER Julien | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 80 | SINKELDAM Ramon | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 81 | MORICE Julien | Vital Concept | 0:25 |
| 82 | GÉRARD Arnaud | Fortuneo-Samsic | s.t. |
| 83 | VAN WINDEN Dennis | Israel Cycling Academy | 0:27 |
| 84 | VANSPEYBROUCK Pieter | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | 0:30 |
| 85 | VERMEULEN Emiel | Roubaix-Lille Metropole | s.t. |
| 86 | WIPPERT Wouter | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | 0:32 |
| 87 | CLAEYS Dimitri | Cofidis | 0:39 |
| 88 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert | Cofidis | 0:48 |
| 89 | BOU Joan | Nippo-Vini Fantini | 1:12 |
| 90 | GRELLIER Fabien | Direct Energie | 1:15 |
| 91 | VAUGRENARD Benoît | Groupama-FDJ | 1:27 |
| 92 | DIDIER Laurent | Trek-Segafredo | 1:30 |
| 93 | RAST Grégory | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 94 | DE VREESE Laurens | Astana | 1:40 |
| 95 | GEBREMEDHIN Awet | Israel Cycling Academy | 1:50 |
| 96 | CANOLA Marco | Nippo-Vini Fantini | 1:52 |
| 97 | LEROUX Samuel | Roubaix-Lille Metropole | s.t. |
| 98 | GOUAULT Pierre | Roubaix-Lille Metropole | s.t. |
| 99 | BADILATTI Matteo | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 100 | QUÉMÉNEUR Perrig | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 101 | RIVIERE David | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 102 | GUERIN Alexis | Delko-Marseille Provence | s.t. |
| 103 | TRONET Steven | Roubaix-Lille Metropole | s.t. |
| 104 | LE BON Johan | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 105 | PAILLOT Yoann | St Michel-Auber 93 | s.t. |
| 106 | GREGAARD Jonas | Astana | s.t. |
| 107 | REZA Kévin | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 108 | VAN GOETHEM Brian | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 109 | KIRSCH Alex | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | 2:19 |
| 110 | PEDERSEN Mads | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 111 | YUSTRE Kristian | Amore & Vita-Prodir | s.t. |
| 112 | FREULER Jan-andré | Amore & Vita-Prodir | s.t. |
| 113 | ALAFACI Eugenio | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 114 | BEPPU Fumiyuki | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 115 | COSNEFROY Benoît | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 116 | JAKIN Alo | St Michel-Auber 93 | s.t. |
| 117 | FONSECA Armindo | Fortuneo-Samsic | s.t. |
| 118 | GAUDU David | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 119 | PONZI Simone | Nippo-Vini Fantini | s.t. |
| 120 | PACIONI Luca | Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia | s.t. |
| 121 | BAGOT Yoann | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 122 | MOLLY Kenny | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 123 | KONOVALOVAS Ignatas | Groupama-FDJ | 3:07 |
| 124 | LOBATO Juan José | Nippo-Vini Fantini | s.t. |
| 125 | GRUZDEV Dmitriy | Astana | 4:16 |
| 126 | DELFOSSE Sébastien | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | 4:20 |
| 127 | GOEBEERT Pierre | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 128 | TROIA Oliviero | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 129 | BONO Matteo | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 130 | BALDO Nicolas | St Michel-Auber 93 | s.t. |
| 131 | ŠIŠKEVIČIUS Evaldas | Delko-Marseille Provence | 5:20 |
| 132 | KASPERKIEWICZ Przemysław | Delko-Marseille Provence | s.t. |
| 133 | JONES Brenton | Delko-Marseille Provence | 5:34 |
| 134 | LEMUS Luis | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 135 | NIKA Iltjan | Amore & Vita-Prodir | 7:10 |
| 136 | DERNIES Tom | Roubaix-Lille Metropole | 8:07 |
| 137 | JOURNIAUX Axel | Direct Energie | 8:08 |
| 138 | BAŠKA Erik | Bora-hansgrohe | 8:15 |
| 139 | SARAMOTINS Aleksejs | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
2018 GP Fourmies map