Geniez wins Tro Bro Leon at first attempt

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Alexandre Geniez delivered FDJ's second win of the season as he outsprinted his four breakaway companions on the finishing line of the cobbled and windy Tro Bro Leon in Lannilis.

"I've been off the back at most of the early season races so it's a great pleasure to win here today. It was my first time at the Tro Bro Leon and I wasn't initially scheduled for this race but I love it. It's atypical. The atmosphere is great. The Breton crowd is made of connoisseurs and racing under the sun doesn't happen here every day," he said.

The day before, Geniez finished fourth in the wet and muddy Tour du Finistère. Today he found himself in a front group of eight with 80km to go with Benoît Jarrier and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Bretagne-Séché Environnement), Florian Sénéchal (Cofidis), Gediminas Bagdonas (AG2R-La Mondiale), Jimmy Engoulvent (Europcar), Berden De Vries (Roompot) and Tom Dernies (Wallonie-Bruxelles).

Sénéchal was riding impressively a week after coming 17th in his home race, Paris-Roubaix.

"My crash at half way penalized me badly today," he explained after taking third place while Jarrier was second once again (after 2012).

"I've ridden 100km with blood on my knee and my arm but I maintained my focus. I attacked in the finale but Alexandre was the strongest today anyway."

On the finishing circuit, Geniez and Périchon attacked but it went down to a sprint. "Everyone marked everyone and the two Bretagne riders were getting organised," Geniez said.

"I'm glad I was the fastest. At FDJ, we've had a complicated first part of the season with many mechanicals. The team has changed a little bit and we've been unlucky on several occasions but now we've got the hope that we're on the right track. I'll take a rest before tackling the Tour de Romandie and the Giro d'Italia."

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