Brennan managed to win the race in the sprint of a small group. "I'm very happy with this. It was quite difficult to control, but once we got to the finish line, I knew I had the fastest sprint of the guys there. That gave me confidence heading into the final."

In summer conditions, it was the perfect day to attack the French cobbles for the first time this season. After a quiet opening phase, four riders gained a few minutes' lead, but the high pace in the peloton meant they were reeled in well before the finish. A new leading group emerged on one of the first cobbled sections, which included Brennan.

The young Brit, who took second place earlier this season on his WorldTour debut in Australia, managed to position himself cleverly and reacted alertly to several attacks. With the finish line in sight, Brennan knew the eyes were on him. The Brit remained patient, played the game smartly and then sprinted convincingly to victory.

"The team did a great job today," Brennan said. "They put me in a perfect position and I was also well positioned when going up the cobbled sections. Then it's also easier to find your rhythm on those bad sections. I am very grateful to everyone for the work they did."

After victories in the Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers and Le Tour des 100 Communes, Brennan could put his hands in the air for the third time this season.

"This was very impressive", sports director Robert Wagner praised the performance of his pupil, who was part of the Development Team last year. "Although Matthew has never ridden at this level before, he showed again today that he knows better than anyone else when to take action. He has a nose for the right moment and rode very attentively from the front. As the group got smaller and the finish line approached, we knew there was a good chance he would finish it off. He did that superbly!"