Not all sprints are decided in the final metres, with Arnaud Demare’s victory in the second stage of the Eneco Tour proving such a point.

With the race coming back together in the closing stages, the FDJ.fr rider – buoyed by victory in the inaugural RideLondon-Surrey Classic – attacked long and hard for the line.

There were still 200m to go on the uphill finish when the Frenchman launched his decisive blow.

Despite several teams being in contention, none had an answer to the in-form Frenchman’s aggression and he powered beyond his remaining rivals to seal an important stage victory.