Daniele Bennati has won the bunch sprint in the final stage of Circuit Sarthe. It was the third win for Bennati in the French race covering five stages in four days. The win sealed his lead in the points competition and won him the green sprinter’s jersey.

The 166 kilometres race between Abbaye de l’Epau and Bonnétable included three hot sprints and three climbs. It was a fast affair from the gun. “A big break with 21 riders got off the front in the beginning,” explains Bennati. “It took a lot of time for the peloton behind to catch up.”

Once the peloton finally absorbed the large break, the attacks were constant. “FDJ controlled things until the final circuit,” Bennati says. “We took over with two laps remaining.”

The final circuit included six laps each of 11.4 km. “Near the end of race, on the final circuit, our guys were all there chasing together,” explains Sports Director Luca Guercilena. “The final circuit included a little climb, and there were always attacks here. The team did not let anyone get away.”

With the group heading to the line together, LEOPARD TREK could turn its focus to the sprint finish. “In the final kilometres, the guys brought Daniele and Davide [Viganò] to the front,” Guercilena says. “The finishing sprint was technical with some tricky turns and Davide helped Daniele negotiate this part. Daniele won the sprint pretty handily.”

“I’m really happy with this victory. It proves that I am in a very good shape”, Bennati smiles. “The team worked really hard to get me in the best possible position for the sprint. The plan we had worked out perfectly.”

Guercilena is proud of the team’s efforts in France. “We won three stages and scored one second,” he said. “This is excellent for a four-day race. Also, we had a lot of fun here. We had good weather and came away with a lot of success. It’s good motivation for the whole team, especially Daniele, who is in good shape now. If he can improve a little bit more, he will be the man to beat in the Giro sprint stages.”