Nine days after an unfortunate crash in the Tro Bro Leon, Thibaud Gruel made a convincing return to racing this Tuesday at the Classique Dunkerque. Under the rain and after a race that proved tougher than expected, the young Frenchman was able to show his qualities on the uphill finish in Mont-Saint-Éloi. Six seconds behind solo winner Artem Shmidt, the Groupama-FDJ United puncheur secured a solid sixth place, an encouraging result ahead of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, which begin tomorrow.
For its second edition, the Classique Dunkerque-Grand Prix des Hauts-de-France brought some changes. After the bunch sprint in the streets of Lens in 2025, Mont-Saint-Éloi hosted the finish of the 2026 edition on Tuesday, with a more demanding final featuring the last 600 metres at an average gradient of 5%. The finish therefore appeared less suited to the pure sprinters, but the entire day turned out to be relatively grueling due to the weather conditions. “It rained for almost the entire race,” explained Yvon Caër. “On top of that, we rode on many narrow roads, through numerous villages, so it was tiring both physically and mentally. A breakaway of three riders built up an advantage of nearly seven minutes before the peloton really started chasing. The gap was reduced to two minutes with around forty kilometers to go, but before the first passage over the finish line, fourteen kilometers from the end, some teams made a big push because of a slight crosswind. Given how hard the day already was, when the pace suddenly increased, a lot of riders got dropped.”
“I’m where I belong” – Thibaud Gruel
A reduced peloton therefore tackled the finishing hill for the first time around twenty seconds behind the last survivor of the breakaway, but counterattacks soon followed. In particular, Artem Shmidt managed to break away, bridge across to the leader, drop him, and build a substantial advantage. “It took time for the peloton to organize because teammates had to come back, and he put in a huge ride,” commented Yvon. As a result, the American held more than forty seconds’ advantage entering the final five kilometers, while the peloton struggled to reduce the gap, which had become too large to contest the win. “The goal was to position Thibaud for the finishing climb, and the guys did that really well,” Yvon continued. “In the final eight kilometers, Olivier positioned us perfectly all the way to the crosswind section, then Clément delivered me perfectly before the corner leading onto the narrow road,” explained Thibaud. “I was near the front, exactly where I wanted to be. Because of that, in the climb, I wasn’t affected at all by the crash, which happened behind me. Maybe I launched my sprint just a little too early, but I have no regrets. The riders ahead of me were stronger. I’m where I belong.”
While Artem Shmidt successfully completed his solo move to take victory, Thibaud Gruel claimed sixth place six seconds later. “We have no regrets,” added Yvon. “Thibaud had an opening, and I’d rather see him commit and launch his effort than wait and risk getting boxed in. In my opinion, it was the right decision, and sixth place is a satisfying result. It confirms that, for his comeback, he has fully recovered from his crash at Tro Bro Léon.”“The team trusted me and supported me well throughout the day,” said Thibaud. “It’s a good sign for the rest of the week, and there are still plenty of great things to achieve.” “We’ll also have three fresh riders joining us for the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, namely Valentin, Bastien, and Tom,” concluded Yvon. “We’ll have strong cards to play, and the momentum is positive.”
