Maurits Lammertink (Roompot) took the biggest win of his career when he emerged as the fastest in the uphill sprint on the final stage of the Tour du Limousin. Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani) had to settle for second but that was enough to take the overall win on a countback over Jesus Herrada (Movistar).

The new Roompot team have desperately chased their first victory. In the first part of the season, they got closest in the queen stage of the 4 Days of Dunkirk when Maurits Lammertink was caught just metres from the line.

In general, Lammertink has been their strongest weapon in the hilly races and unsurprisingly it was the puncheur who finally managed to open their account. After two solid top 10 results in the first two stages, he proved his good condition by coming out on top in the bunch sprint at the end of the final stage of the Tour du Limousin.

While Lammertink got attention for his victory, most had their eyes on the battle for the overall win. Going into the stage, Jesus Herrada led Sonny Colbrelli by just 7 seconds and with bonus seconds on offer and Colbrelli having proved to be the fastest rider in the race, all was set for a thrilling battle.

The first intermediate sprint came already at the 18km mark and Bardiani worked hard to keep it together for that first battle. Here Colbrelli beat Herrada and so reduced his deficit to 6 seconds.

A four-rider breakaway was allowed to get up the road to swallow up the seconds in the final intermediate sprints, meaning that it all came down to the final sprint. With better stage placings, it was enough for Colbrelli to finish second if Herrada failed to make it into top 3.

Not being a sprinter, Herrada could only cross his fingers and hope for the best. He must have been relieved to see Lammertink raising his arms but much to his frustration, Colbrelli was next with Thomas Sprengers (Topsport Vlaanderen) completing the podium. Hence, the pair end the race equal on time and Colbrelli takes the win on a countback. Rudy Molard (Cofidis) was just two seconds behind in third.

Baptiste Planckaert (Roubaix) won the sprints jersey while Giogio Cecchinel (Southeast) is the best climber. Colbrelli is of course also the best young rider while Movistar is the best team.

Racing in France continues next Tuesday when another late-summer stage race kicks off. The Tour du Poitou-Charentes is a four-day race that serves as a warm-up for next Sunday’s GP Plouay.

A lumpy stage

After yesterday’s surprise, it was another lumpy stage on the final day when the riders tackled 164.7km from Aixe-sur-Vienne to Limoges. The first part of the stage included three category 3 climbs and it all ended with three laps of a hilly 12km circuit that included an uphill finish

It was another sunny day in Limousin when the 130 survivors gathered for the final stage. There were no non-starters as they headed out for the neutral ride.

Bonus seconds for Colbrelli

Right from the start two riders managed and they were joined by another two to form a quartet before it all came back together at the 9km mark. At this point, Fernando Grijalba (Caja Rural) left the race.

Mauro Finetto (Southeast), Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Hubert Dupont (AG2R La Mondiale) Eros Capecchi (Movistar), Francis De Greef (Wanty), Luca Chirico (Bardiani), Damiano Cunego (Nippo-Vini Fantini), Julien El Fares (Marseille 13 KTM) and Guillaume Levarlet (Auber 93) were the next to try but they were brought back in time for the intermediate sprint where Colbrelli beat Herrada and Rudy Molard (Cofidis) to pick up 3 bonus seconds.

A break gets clear

While Jef Van Meirhaeghe (Topsport) left the race, the attacking continued and it was a 14-rider group that briefly got clear before the peloton split, with a 30-rider group forming on the front. However, it all came back together before Julien Berard (Ag2r) and Julien Duval (Armee) left the race.

As they hit the first climb after more than an hour of fast racing, Yannick Martinez (Europcar), Axel Domont (AG2R La Mondiale), Etienne Van Empel (Roompot) and Romain Combaud (Armee) got clear and it was Combaud who led van Empel and Martinez over the top where they had an advantage of 30 seconds. The peloton finally slowed down and so it went out to 2.20 with 110km to go.

The chase gets organized

Lots of riders left the race while Combaud beat Domont and van Empel in the second intermediate sprint. Their advantage reached a maximum of 3.15 before the peloton started to accelerate under the impetus of Cofidis, CCC and Bardiani

Combaud also beat van Empel and Domont in the final sprint with 86km to go. When Combaud beat van Empel, Martinez and Domont in the second KOM sprint, the gap was already down to 2.40.

Tronet and Vimpere take off

As the peloton slowed down and allowed the gap to go out to 3.20, the Auber 93 pair of Steven Tronet and Theo Vimpere tried to bridge the gap. When Combaud led van Empel, Domont and Martinez over the top of the final climb with 52km to go, they were just 1.17 behind while the peloton was at 3.17.

Jeremy Roy (FDJ) was the next riders to try to bridge the gap and he managed to gain 40 seconds on the peloton which entered the final 40km with a deficit of 2.05. Tronet and Vimpere were still 1.06 behind.

Movistar lead the chase

It was now Movistar leading the chase and they had reduced the gap to 2.21 at the first passage of the line where the two chasers were 40 seconds behind. With 25km to go, the gaps were 20 seconds, 1.16 and 1.35 respectively.

Roy was brought back by the speeding peloton while Martinez and Domont dropped van Empel and Combaud. Meanwhile, the peloton briefly slowed down and allowed the gap to go out from 55 seconds to 1.20.

Martinez is caught

At the start of the final lap, the leading dup were 45 seconds ahead of their two chasing duos who had merged to form a quartet while the peloton was 1.19 behind and led by Movistar and Bardiani. The chasers were brought back with 10km to go where Martinez dropped Domont.

Martinez did his best to stay away but was brought back with 5km to go. Inside the final kilometre, Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) tried to attack but it all came down to a bunch sprint that was won by Lammertink.