Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) won the Classic Lorient Agglomération, repeating her 2023 success by outsprinting Chloé Dygert (Canyon-SRAM) and Liane Lippert (Movistar Team).
The European Champion tried to follow Lippert's attack on the bosse du Lezot with 5km to go when long-range attacker Amber Kraak (FDJ-Suez) was caught and bridged to the front together with Dygert.
On the final kilometre, Dygert got a small gap on the other two and went all-out, but Bredewold came from behind with a fast sprint and passed Dygert in the last 50 metres to win.
Nine seconds later, Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) won the bunch sprint for fourth that was marred by a mass crash.
“We knew Liane was going to attack, I already had that feeling, and when Movistar started pulling, you know for sure. The team told me to focus on her, and I did, but I was really nervous coming to the last climb because I know what kind of attack she can do, she is a super strong rider. I’m really happy that Chloé was with me because I’m not sure if I could have closed it alone. Together, we made a nice duo to close to Liane," Bredewold said about the final.
"In the end, I really had to gamble. The girls behind me told me to keep riding, but I know from last year I also have to do the sprint. So I forced the other girls to be in front, and I got launched perfectly that way.”
Bredewold is now part of a select group of riders that took back-to-back victories in Plouay, the other two riders to win twice in a row were Emma Pooley and Marianne Vos.
“It's unbelievable, it really means a lot to me. It’s my last race in this jersey, and it’s been such an incredible year. It’s been so special to wear it.
"Last year, it was my first big victory here, it was already special for me to have today as the last day in this jersey. My teammate Lorena [Wiebes] texted me yesterday that she really wanted me to win, and the team was behind me. I was racing with a lot of emotions today, it means so much, they gave me wings today,” Bredewold had tears of joy in her eyes as she finished the interview.
How it unfolded
The 158km course snaked through Southern Brittany before finishing with 2.5 laps of a 11.7-kilometre finishing circuit. It took over 60km for anyone to get away from the peloton: Linda Zanetti (Human Powered Health) gradually increased her advantage, and 75km from the finish, Maaike Coljé (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Zanetti’s teammate Henrietta Christie went on the chase, bridging to Zanetti with 67.5km to go.
They were two minutes ahead of the peloton where counterattacks led to a chase group of 15 riders. This increased the pace behind, and when the chase group was caught 60km from the finish, the three escapees had only 1:20 left.
The peloton quickly reduced the gap after that, catching the break just after the 50-kilometre mark. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) launched an attack that was followed by Dygert, Bredewold, Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek), Kraak, Lippert, and Franzi Koch (DSM-Firmenich PostNL). These seven riders quickly got a 15-second gap but could not find a common rhythm, leading Kraak to attack with 44km to go.
The other six riders were reeled in by the peloton which then let the gap to Kraak balloon to over two minutes. Local rider Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health) started a solo chase just before entering the finishing circuit, but she was caught again on the bosse du Lezot climb.
With two laps to go, Kraak was still 1:49 ahead of the peloton where Lidl-Trek were doing most of the work, and eventually the gap came down. Kraak started the final lap 50 seconds ahead, but when Movistar Team joined in the chase, her advantage came down quickly, and Lippert passed Kraak when she launched her attack into the bosse du Lezot, 5km from the finish.
Bredewold and Dygert tried to follow Lippert while Van Anrooij was doing her best to bring Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) to the front. When Bredewold and Dygert combined forces, they could close the five-second gap to Lippert with 3.5km to go while a chase group of about 20 riders formed behind them, with even more riders coming back.
Bredewold, Dygert, and Lippert were 15 seconds ahead at the two-kilometre sign, and just after the flamme rouge, Dygert made a well-timed move to get a small gap. Lippert was unable to close her down immediately, and Dygert used her TT and pursuit skills to increase her advantage while Bredewold kept cool in Lippert’s wheel.
Just 250 metres from the line, Bredewold launched her sprint, using Dygert’s slipstream to drag herself closer and coming around on the last 50 metres to win.
In the peloton, a mass crash took out several riders, but all of them could eventually stand up and finish the race.
Results
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