The tight battle for the seasonal UCI Women’s World Tour title continued with a wild final sprint among 15 riders at Saturday’s Grand Prix de Plouay, with Dutch stars Amy Pieters and World Tour leader Marianne Vos getting to the line first.
It was a critical finish for Vos, 31, who extended her seasonal lead to 1,394.88-1,160.33 over Anna van der Breggen, who did not ride. There are three races left, most importantly this week’s Holland Ladies Tour, starting on Tuesday.
For Vos, it’s also her seventh medal at Plouay; she won in 2012-13, was second also in 2009-10-14, and third in 2011. American Coryn Rivera finished third for the second straight week, her third medal of this season.
In Sunday’s men’s Bretagne Classic/Ouest-France, Belgium’s Oliver Naesen won his second title after his 2016 win, outdueling Dane Michael Valgren in the final sprint, with both three seconds ahead of Tim Wellens (BEL), Aussie Michael Matthews and Portugal’s Ruben Guerreiro. Summaries:
UCI Women’s World Tour/Grand Prix de Plouay
Plouay (FRA) ~ 25 August 2018
(Full results here)
Final Results (125.5 km): 1. Amy Pieters (NED), 3:17:18; 2. Marianne Vos (NED), 3:17:18; 3. Coryn Rivera (USA), 3:17:18; 4. Elena Cecchini (ITA), 3:17:18; 5. Amanda Spratt (AUS), 3:17:18; 6. Alison Jackson (CAN), 3:17:18; 7. Malgorzata Jasinska (POL), 3:17:18; 8. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), 3:17:18; 9. Eugenia Bijak (SLO), 3:17:18; 10. Kasia Niewiadoma (POL), 3:17:18. Also in the top 50: 11. Megan Guarnier (USA), 3:17:18; … 18. Ruth Winder (USA), 3:17:18.
UCI World Tour/Bretagne Classic Ouest-France
Plouay (FRA) ~ 26 August 2018
(Full results here)
Final Results (256.9 km): 1. Oliver Naesen (BEL), 6:16:34; 2. Michael Valgren (DEN), 6:16:34; 3. Tim Wellens (BEL), 6:16:37; 4. Michael Matthews (AUS), 6:17:37; 5. Ruben Guerreiro (POR), 6:17:37; 6. Zdenek Stybar (CZE), 6:17:37; 7. Olivier Le Gac (FRA), 6:17:39; 8. Valentin Madouas (FRA), 6:17:41; 9. Benoit Cosnefroy (FRA), 6:17:42; 10. Fabio Jakobsen (NED), 6:17:48.
