Arnaud Demare of FDJ has won the Halle Imgooigem race in Belgium.
The halfway stage of the Napoleon Cup Series saw the 70th edition start in Halle and finish in Imgooigem after 201kms on a course which after 105kms, had a lap of 25kms and four laps of 17.7kms to finish.
The race which also had seventeen climbs and been won twice by Nacer Bouhanni, was over an hour old when the first break formed.
In it was Englishman Jacob Scott of An Post Chain Reactions, along with Antwan Tolhoek and Pieter Vanspeybrouck and on a day where temperatures were the same as in England, they were allowed to go 5.20 clear.
They stayed away until the Tiegemberg climb with 27kms to go when the peloton finally brought them back.
British rider James Shaw of Lotto Soudal then got into a group of three and briefly led as they took on the Tiegemberg for the final time before the pack re-grouped for the final seven kilometres.
As expected, it came down to a sprint and it was Arnaud Demare of FDJ, who took his second win in this race, who won ahead of Edward Theuns riding for the Belgian national side.
Kev Monks for Digital Sports Group
Source: DSG
