Zdenek got off to a good start in the peloton. Our champion finished tenth in the first stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk. The stage win and the pink leader’s jersey went to the German, John Degenkolb.
The riders were faced with a 169.6 km stage from Dunkirk to Coquelles. A group of five broke away from the peloton and built up a lead of more than seven minutes.
The break was eventually caught during the finale, but the strong winds allowed a new group to get away. That group included three Omega Pharma-Quick Step riders: Jérôme Pineau, Gert Steegmans and our Styby, who immediately went to work.
But despite all our Czech’s hard work and the fact that the team had a numerical advantage, team leader Steegmans only managed to finish sixth in the sprint. Styby was tenth. “It could have been better, but it also could have been a lot worse,” he said on Twitter.