Published on : 05/22/2026
On the cobbled stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Benjamin Thomas rode aggressively in a nervous and demanding day of racing. The French rider finished 10th in Arenberg and moved up to 7th place in the overall standings.
With 156 kilometres, eight cobbled sectors and a finishing circuit around Haveluy and Wallers-Arenberg, this third stage between La Sentinelle and Arenberg lived up to expectations. After an early breakaway of three riders was quickly reeled in, a group of 16 riders went clear with around 50 kilometres to go, with Benjamin Thomas well positioned at the front.
Very active in the final, the Cofidis rider attacked in the last cobbled sector in an attempt to make the difference before being caught again. A late move by Rasmus Tiller then split the leading group. Benjamin Thomas finished 10th on the stage and climbed to 7th overall, 16 seconds behind the race leader.
Reaction from sports director Sébastien Hinault
“A relatively short stage, around 150 kilometres with eight laps of the Haveluy sector, but a very hard one, made even tougher by the heat. A group went clear in the final with Benjamin Thomas, who was a strong option for us. Unfortunately, he finished 10th after trying to attack in the last sector, before being countered by stage winner Rasmus Tiller. Behind, we had three riders finishing in the small chasing group around fifteen seconds later, with Clément Izquierdo in 14th place on the stage, alongside Bryan Coquard and Sam Maisonobe. Tomorrow’s stage to Cassel will be decisive and we hope to move closer on GC.”
