Alexis Gougeard of AG2R has won the third stage of Tour Of Dunkirk.
The third stage on another sunny day was from Barlin to Saint Omer which was 186.7kms long and saw Bryan Coquard with a lead of twelve seconds.
At the first sprint of the day, it was Alexis Gougeard who took the four points ahead of Brayan Chacon and Laurent Pichion, who were joined by Julien Antomarchi for the second sprint which Gougeard also won.
Chacon took the points on the Notre Dame de Lorette and the Enpuin les Mines climbs before Antomarchi took three points on the Coyecques climb to put him into the KOM lead.
Gougeard, Ramirez Chacon and Antomarchi had got 8.50 clear but were 5.02 ahead of a chasing group and 6.45 ahead of the race leader with 68.4kms to go.
The gap was steady at around five minutes before slowly dropping down to 3.20 with thirteen kilometres left.
Seven kilometres later and with a lead of 2.38, Gougeard kicked it off but Chacon of Colombia and Antonmarchi of Roubaix Lille followed.
With the peloton not in full cry, the cat and mouse game got under way as the riders went under the flam rouge. Alexis Gougeard led out the sprint and he had the legs to win in a time of 4.15.29 ahead of Antonmarchi and Chacon with Edward Theuns leading the peloton home just ahead of the race leader, some fourteen seconds later.
Bryan Coquard keeps his twelve second lead in the race.