Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) raced to his third win of the 2024 season at the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs, going clear 2km from the finish up the closing climb of Montfaucon to upgrade on his 2023 second place.
The 20-year-old went early on the 3.8km, 9% finishing ramp, catching and passing earlier attacker Adne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) halfway up before Victor Langellotti (Burgos-BH) accelerated to make it two up front 500 metres from the line.
But it was Martinez who had more in the tank in the final metres, passing Langellotti around the outside of the final bend to outpace the Monegasque rider and seal the fourth win of his young career by four seconds.
Groupama-FDJ would celebrate the team's sixth win of the season as well as a double podium finish as David Gaudu came home in third place, 11 seconds down on Martinez.
Behind the top three, Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto-Dstny) and Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) rounded out the top five at 20 and 26 seconds down, respectively.
The race, in its fourth edition this season, is the first of a triple-header of one-day races held in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of eastern France, coming ahead of Saturday's Tour du Jura and Sunday's Tour du Doubs.
Hills were dotted throughout the 171.3km course, but the focus of the day was always going to be the short but steep final climb to the finish line.
That didn't stop a breakaway venturing out up the road inside the first 20km, however, with Holter among the early attackers as the Norwegian was joined by Alain Jousseaume (TotalEnergies), Enekoitz Azparren (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Maël Guégan (CIC U Nantes Atlantique), Jérémy Leveau (Van Rysal-Roubaix), and Théo Delacroix (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93).
The move was allowed up to eight minutes at one point during the day while Groupama-FDJ and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale did the work in the peloton behind. At around 50km to go, the pace up front and in the peloton went up as the chasing group decided to get serious.
Azparren, Levau and Guégan were the first to drop up front as the remaining trio battled on and Lotto-Dstny and Burgos-BH joined in the pacemaking behind.
Holter proved to be the strongest man from the break in the end, leaving behind Jousseaume and Delacroix to strike out for the first win of his career. Behind him, however, Martinez had other plans and set off along from the peloton just under a kilometre into the climb.
He'd catch and pass Holter within a kilometre and looked set for a solo victory to go with previous wins at the CIC Mont Ventoux, Classic Var, and Trofeo Laigueglia. He seemed to falter heading into the closing kilometre, however, as Langellotti led the charge behind.
But Martinez persevered, hanging on to the 28-year-old before managing with one final push to break clear once more and seal the win.
