Description
May 21, 2026
70th 4 Jours de Dunkerque / Grand Prix des Hauts de France 2026 🇫🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 2 – Glisy – Liévin : 187,4 km
4 Jours de Dunkerque is a UCI 2.Pro classification that unfolds across the flat yet tactically demanding landscapes of northern France’s Flanders region,
Show more...
May 21, 2026
70th 4 Jours de Dunkerque / Grand Prix des Hauts de France 2026 🇫🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 2 – Glisy – Liévin : 187,4 km
4 Jours de Dunkerque is a UCI 2.Pro classification that unfolds across the flat yet tactically demanding landscapes of northern France’s Flanders region, where the roads weave through a patchwork of open farmland, coastal plains, and industrial zones under skies often heavy with Atlantic winds. The terrain is predominantly flat, with long, straight stretches that encourage high speeds, but the race is rarely a straightforward affair. The roads are frequently exposed to relentless crosswinds blowing in from the North Sea, turning the peloton into a battleground of echelons and splits, while short, punchy climbs like the Mont des Cats or Côte de Cassel offer brief but explosive ramps where attacks can launch. The descents are fast and technical, their narrow lanes and sharp bends demanding precision, while the flatter sections often feature cobbled sectors or rough road surfaces that add an extra layer of difficulty. The race dynamics are shaped by these wind-exposed stretches and short, sharp climbs, with attacks launching during moments of crosswind chaos or on the steepest ramps, the peloton thinning as riders fight to hold position. The final kilometers often feature a fast, technical run-in through the streets of Dunkirk, where a bunch sprint decides the outcome, or a small group of riders who have escaped the chaos battle it out in a tense, high-speed finish. The Quatre Jours de Dunkerque is a race that rewards endurance, tactical intelligence, and adaptability, blending the raw beauty of Flanders’ countryside with the relentless challenge of its winds, climbs, and unpredictable conditions.
At the end of a second day in the early breakaway, Victor Papon (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) staged a massive coup, winning stage 2 of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque ahead of his fellow escapees Maël Guégan (CIC Pro Cycling Academy), Kévin Avoine and his Van Rysel Roubaix teammate Daniel Årnes.
The chasing peloton failed to reel in the escapees, finishing seven seconds later, led to the line by stage 1 winner Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
Pithie continues as the race leader as none of the breakaway riders finished in the lead group on stage 1. Lewis Askey (NSN) is second at six seconds, while Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) lies in third at 10 seconds.
“It’s unbelievable. I never expected it with all the sprinters’ teams,” Papon said. “When you go in the breakaway you always have a little glimmer of hope, and everything just lined up perfectly. I’m proud of the whole team.”
How it unfolded
It was a familiar start to stage 2 of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, with the exact same team composition in the early breakaway as the opening stage.
This time it was Maël Guégan (CIC Pro Cycling Academy), mountains classification leader Victor Papon and teammate Jaakko Hänninen (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur), another returnee Kévin Avoine and his teammate Daniel Årnes (Van Rysel Roubaix) in the breakaway.
After going clear 20 kilometres into the stage, the five riders worked together to gain nearly four minutes. That margin fell steadily in the final hour of racing, dropping to one minute with 12 km to go as Tudor and EF-Education-EasyPost led the chase.
The quintet kept cooperating to try to hold off the chase and although they began to look ragged as the peloton slowly closed in, the breakaway still had half a minute with 5km to go.
As the convoy were pulled out of the gap between the peloton and breakaway, the five leaders continued to believe in their cause. They lost Hänninen with 3km to go, but the remaining four continued to push.
A crash in the chasing bunch briefly disrupted the peloton, and with 2km to go, they still had 20 seconds to close down as the quartet found another gear.
Avoine led out the sprint, but it was Papon who claimed the win as the peloton timed their pursuit poorly.
Results :
 ME - Stage 2 </strong> - Glisy - Liévin : 187,4 km
<!--more-->
4 Jours de Dunkerque is a UCI 2.Pro classification that unfolds across the flat yet tactically demanding landscapes of northern France’s Flanders region, where the roads weave through a patchwork of open farmland, coastal plains, and industrial zones under skies often heavy with Atlantic winds. The terrain is predominantly flat, with long, straight stretches that encourage high speeds, but the race is rarely a straightforward affair. The roads are frequently exposed to relentless crosswinds blowing in from the North Sea, turning the peloton into a battleground of echelons and splits, while short, punchy climbs like the Mont des Cats or Côte de Cassel offer brief but explosive ramps where attacks can launch. The descents are fast and technical, their narrow lanes and sharp bends demanding precision, while the flatter sections often feature cobbled sectors or rough road surfaces that add an extra layer of difficulty. The race dynamics are shaped by these wind-exposed stretches and short, sharp climbs, with attacks launching during moments of crosswind chaos or on the steepest ramps, the peloton thinning as riders fight to hold position. The final kilometers often feature a fast, technical run-in through the streets of Dunkirk, where a bunch sprint decides the outcome, or a small group of riders who have escaped the chaos battle it out in a tense, high-speed finish. The Quatre Jours de Dunkerque is a race that rewards endurance, tactical intelligence, and adaptability, blending the raw beauty of Flanders’ countryside with the relentless challenge of its winds, climbs, and unpredictable conditions.
At the end of a second day in the early breakaway, Victor Papon (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur) staged a massive coup, winning stage 2 of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque ahead of his fellow escapees Maël Guégan (CIC Pro Cycling Academy), Kévin Avoine and his Van Rysel Roubaix teammate Daniel Årnes.
The chasing peloton failed to reel in the escapees, finishing seven seconds later, led to the line by stage 1 winner Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
Pithie continues as the race leader as none of the breakaway riders finished in the lead group on stage 1. Lewis Askey (NSN) is second at six seconds, while Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) lies in third at 10 seconds.
"It's unbelievable. I never expected it with all the sprinters' teams," Papon said. "When you go in the breakaway you always have a little glimmer of hope, and everything just lined up perfectly. I'm proud of the whole team."
<strong>How it unfolded</strong>
It was a familiar start to stage 2 of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, with the exact same team composition in the early breakaway as the opening stage.
This time it was Maël Guégan (CIC Pro Cycling Academy), mountains classification leader Victor Papon and teammate Jaakko Hänninen (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur), another returnee Kévin Avoine and his teammate Daniel Årnes (Van Rysel Roubaix) in the breakaway.
After going clear 20 kilometres into the stage, the five riders worked together to gain nearly four minutes. That margin fell steadily in the final hour of racing, dropping to one minute with 12 km to go as Tudor and EF-Education-EasyPost led the chase.
The quintet kept cooperating to try to hold off the chase and although they began to look ragged as the peloton slowly closed in, the breakaway still had half a minute with 5km to go.
As the convoy were pulled out of the gap between the peloton and breakaway, the five leaders continued to believe in their cause. They lost Hänninen with 3km to go, but the remaining four continued to push.
A crash in the chasing bunch briefly disrupted the peloton, and with 2km to go, they still had 20 seconds to close down as the quartet found another gear.
Avoine led out the sprint, but it was Papon who claimed the win as the peloton timed their pursuit poorly.
<strong>Results : </strong>
<iframe width="100%" height="730" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=175&y=2026&s=2&lang=EN&cn=1" src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=175&y=2026&s=2&lang=EN&cn=1"></iframe>)
