Can't really argue with the FDJ performance here. Well done Demare.
Nice attempt to nick it by Gilbert too. But a bit disappointing from GVA. Thought CCC would break the duck here.
Really, when van Avermaet, after last season I think, said he had done his part and the team needed to up their game, I thought like "w**, how can you say that in public". (I still do.) But today I understood his frustration. He was strong, but the team, after working the whole day, was spent, and he had to climb, catch, ride on his own for a rather long time, while FDJ was then able to work for Démare.
Well, of course Démare is way more of a pure sprinter, so him surviving the hills after all is impressive in his own, but there was a time when he was at the back of the bunch and was then brought back by his team.
Gilbert was actually quite good in the end, I would have expected a bigger "jump" by Démare in comparison to him.