How the race finished
Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx Protime) took back-to-back victories in the GP de Plouay Classic Lorient Agglomération Trophée CERATIZIT ‘24, sprinting to the win ahead of Chloé Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Racing) and Liane Lippert (Movistar).
Full results are available below.
How it happened
The peloton rolled out from Plouay on a rainy day, with an unrelenting course ahead of them that suggested an open and aggressive race. Linda Zanetti (Human Powered Health) took off solo, slowly extending her lead out to over one minute as the peloton looked relaxed behind. Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling seemed happy to sit on the front, keeping Zanetti in check but not pushing too hard on the opening laps. Ruby Rosemann Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) was also present at the front keeping tabs on the moves.
At 74.2km to go a big attack came from Maike Colje (Arkea B&B Hotels). She was quickly marked by Henrietta Christe (Human Powered Health), and the duo began to close the gap on Christie’s teammate, Zanetti, who was now 1 minute and 45 seconds ahead. The pair made contact with Zanetti at around 65 km to go, and by that point the trio had a two minute lead over the peloton.
SD Worx Protime and UAE Team ADQ made their first appearances near the front of the peloton. Rather than working to bring the gap down, SD Worx Protime chose to attack. Femke Markus made a move that was followed closely by Audrey Cordon Ragot (Human Powered Health). The attack drew a group clear, and Lidl Trek, who had three riders present, drove on. It took a few kilometres but the peloton was able to bring the group back.
With 50km to go, as the gap to the leading trio came down to around 15 seconds, Lizzie Deignan (Lidl Trek) attacked from the bunch. As the bunch caught Deignan and the trio Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl Trek) counterattacked, taking Chloé Drygert (Canyon//Sram Racing) with her. The group swelled to around seven riders, and they held around 20 seconds over the reduced peloton behind.
As the peloton behind swelled and came closer, Amber Kraak (FDJ Suez) launching a solo move. The peloton caught the other riders from the break, and on a steep climb Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance Soudal) set the pace on the front, trying to close the gap to Kraak. As the gap came down Urska Zigart (Liv AlUla Jayco) attacked, but was closely followed.
By 32km to go Kraak had extended her advantage to almost two minutes. With Lidl Trek on the front of the peloton Audrey Cordon Ragot (Human Powered Health) attacked. The initial responses from Canyon//SRAM Racing were soon snuffed out, and Cordon Ragot set about making her way across to Kraak solo.
Cordon Ragot was caught again at 26 km to go, as Lidl Trek continued to manage the pace in the peloton. On the next ride Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) attacked, followed closely by Femke Gerritse (SD Worx Protime) and Cordon Ragot once again, but the trio were brought back. Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling came through to help Lidl Trek set the pace, but with 20 km to go Kraak still held a lead of 1:45. By 10 km to go, that had dropped to only 45 seconds.
With 5km to go Liane Lippert (Movistar) put in a stinging attack, flying past Amber Kraak. Lippert was tracked by Dygert and Bredewold, while further down the road, Shirin van Anrooij tried to bring Elisa Balsamo back to the front. Dygert and Bredewold joined Lippert with 3.5km to go, but Dygert immediately refused to work.
The trio did begin to cooperate, but with 1 kilometre to go the pace slowed again. Dygert attacked, getting a gap and pulling away from Lippert and Bredewold. Lippert tried to close the gap, and as the hit the finishing straight Bredewold made her move off Lippert’s wheel, coming with enough pace to overtake Dygert before the line and raise her arms in celebration.
Full Results
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