Engoulvent not optimistic about defending Dunkirk lead

Although he’s over a minute and 19 seconds clear of his closest rival with two stages left to race, Frenchman Jimmy Engoulvent plays down his chances of being able to win the Quatres Jours de Dunkerque

"The pink jersey will be virtually impossible to defend Monday, especially since there is only five on the team with the loss of Laurent Mangel,” he said after assuming the race lead yesterday. “After today, the legs will be tired.”

The Saur Sojasun rider was one of six who broke clear early on during yesterday’s 178.3 kilometre stage at Poperinge. He, Kevin Lalouette (Roubaix Lille Metropole), Benoit Jarrier (Veranda Rideau - Super U), Jonathan Thire (Auber 93), David Boucher (FDJ-Big Mat) and Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator) opened a sizeable lead over the peloton, with overall leader John Degenkolb and his Argos Shimano team unable to control things.

Engoulvent made his move close to the finish. "I kept doing my turns well and even did more than others,” he explained. “I was able to win by attacking on a false flat, with wind from the side.

“After eight laps of the circuit, I knew that it would force the selection. I think that I had the others surprised because they thought I’d play my card in the sprint. But that would have been less certain.”

Lalouette was the only rider able to go with him when he jumped, but had nothing left when it came to the sprint. He finished two seconds back, with Jarrier, Thire and Boucher a further eighteen seconds down.

The Saur Sojasun rider now holds a one minute 19 second advantage over Jarrier with two stages left. Today’s 183.3 kilometre stage from Gravelines to Cassel includes laps which take in the difficult Mont Cassel, explaining perhaps his pessimism about keeping the pink jersey.

As he mentioned, the absence of team-mate Magnel means that it will be tougher to control things. The latter crashed yesterday and suffered facial injuries. He did not finish and has a suspected broken nose.

Engoulvent’s team manager Stéphane Heulot doesn’t want to give up too easily. “This is a difficult circuit, but he has a lead [over the others],” he said. “We will do everything to keep it.”