Benoît Cosnefroy on thrilling GP de Québec win: "I had planned to attack exactly there"

AG2R Citroën Team has been having a tricky season, but their win today at the GP de Québec came as a great boost for the team and also Benoît Cosnefroy who has hit his best form in great timing.

It’s incredible! It hasn’t sunk in yet. I had planned to attack exactly there. If that didn’t work out, we had Greg Van Avermaet to do the sprint," the Frenchman said after the race. "I am very happy because I did not necessarily expect to stay away for the last two kilometers. I gave it my all and was able to enjoy the last fifty meters."

Cosnefroy admitted that he had planned his move on the penultimate hilltop of the day, where he stormed off the peloton with a brutal attack. He immediately got a gap, and rode all-out to the finish to try and sustain it. As several behind attacked and failed to organize a proper chase, Cosnefroy kept his lead, and managed to ride into the finish line safe of his win, the first in his season.

"From an average season, I am moving on to an exceptional season. With six second places including the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Brabançonne, I was just waiting for this victory," he revealed. "And it comes in one of the most beautiful races on the calendar, it’s huge. Many thanks to the public and the organization here."

"The whole international peloton was eager to come back and we are not disappointed. We will enjoy this and then focus on the Grand Prix de Montréal which suits me even better on paper. We will try to do well there, too," he concluded.

With the GP de Montréal this Sunday Cosnefroy will be a very dangerous rider who has become a main favourite, and ahead of the World Championships he will now also be a contender for the rainbow stripes.