The opening stage of 4 Jours de Dunkerque was quite a difficult one to manage towards the end due to the rainy conditions, but a bunch sprint still decided the outcome of the day as Cofidis took the stage win with Milan Fretin.
The breakaway of the day was formed by Dean Harvey, Gwen Leclainche, Maxime Jarnet, Antoine Hue and Joris Delbove. Jarnet and Leclainche were the final survivors but the rainy conditions made it tough out there and the peloton caught them with 16 kilometers to go.
The peloton slowly increased it's speed towards the finish in Le Touquet, where the bunch sprint was slowly approaching with a lot of tension to avoid crashes.
The final kilometer saw a couple corners that, in the wet, favoured those who took the right risks. This was the case with Paul Hennequin of Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur who gained a few meters in both corners. The Frenchman also took a career-changing win in incredible fashion, but Cofidis launched the sprint and Fretin was superior to all others in the finale; only overtaking his rival in the final meters of the stage. Sam Bennett rode to third.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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