The National Professional Cycling League (LNC) proposed at the beginning of this week its new calendar of French events for 2025. While waiting for the latter to be validated by the International Cycling Union (UCI), one of the major new features that emerges from this draft concerns the 4 days of Dunkirk / Grand Prix of Hauts-de-France ! Eager to renew itself in order to continue to offer a quality line-up, the organizers of the northern stage race have developed a new, more attractive formula in terms of UCI points. A brand new one-day race called Dunkirk Classic – Grand Prix of Hauts de France will thus see the light of day on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Classified in 1.1, this new event will allow riders to win up to 125 UCI points in one day. In the process, participants will be able to continue with the Four Days of Dunkirk. A 69th edition which will therefore take place over five days instead of the usual six, with the finale in the streets of Dunkirk on Sunday May 18.
Video – Sam Bennett won the 2024 edition of 4JDD
Eric Marchyllie: “Our event must be more attractive”
President of the Four days of Dunkirk – Grand Prix of Hauts de France, Eric Marchyllie expressed himself about this choice and this new format for 2025.After the 2024 edition, we had to innovate to allow our race to remain a highlight of the cycling season. If our event does not suffer from any dispute regarding its organization, it must be more attractive. The creation of the Classique Dunkerque – Grand Prix des Hauts de France is completely in this direction. By allowing teams and riders to apply for this new format, by bringing nice surprises in terms of courses, we hope to continue to develop our event and respond to the wishes of the riders and the public.“.
The full press release from the 4 Days of Dunkirk:
As we take stock of the 2024 edition of the 4 Days of Dunkirk – Grand Prix of Hauts de Francethe organizers of the northern race, with their public and private partners, have noted that it is increasingly difficult to offer spectators a quality line-up. The increase in the number of events and especially the race for UCI points for teams encourages them to make choices of races that are likely to earn points. For example, a stage race like the Four days reports 20 to 3 points per stage and 200 to 3 points for the general classification (Sam Bennettwinner of 4 stages and the general classification, thus brought back 305 points to his team Decathlon AG2R LaMondiale, Paul Penhoet2nd overall, collected 183 points at Groupama FDJ And Jenno Berckmoes3rd overall gave 135 points to Lotto Dstny) while a one-day race at level 1.1 can earn between 125 and 3 points, it is therefore understandable that some teams, in search of points for maintenance or promotion, favour one-day races to the detriment of stage races.
In order to offer a more attractive event, Eric Marchylliepresident and volunteers of the Four days consulted and discussed with the stakeholders of the cycling world (teams, UCI, FFC, LNC…), institutional and private partners to arrive at a significant development. Thus, on Tuesday May 13, 2025, the first one-day classic named Dunkirk Classic – Grand Prix of Hauts de France from Dunkirk! Classified in 1.1, this new event will allow riders to win between 125 and 3 points in one day. In the process, teams and riders will be able to continue, the next day, with the 69th edition of the Four Days of Dunkirk – Grand Prix of Hauts de France. An edition that will take place over 5 days with the finale in the streets of Dunkirk on Sunday, May 18! Made official on the occasion of the publication of the 2025 season calendar, this new formula will perhaps attract new teams to the roads of the Hauts de France region in May 2025. We will of course have the opportunity to present this new formula to you at length during the presentation of the route at the end of the year and are already at your disposal if you would like to know more about these new features!
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