Oliver Naesen (IAM) delivered one of the biggest surprises of the 2016 season when he rode to victory in a star-studded 80th edition of the Bretagne Classic, formerly known as GP Plouay. Having attacked with 33km to go, he joined forces with Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale) and Guillaume Martin (Wanty) and after having dropped the latter, he beat the Italian in a two-rider sprint. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) won the sprint for third and so missed out on a repeat win in the French race.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Oliver Naesen: I cannot do better than this in your dreams

“This is by far the biggest win of my career,” Oliver Naesen, full of emotion, exclaimed after winning the Bretagne Classic Ouest France. “This is the first time I have succeeded in winning a World Tour event. That automatically gives such a success a special flavor.”

 

 “When I crossed the line, I realized that this sort of emotion is the reason I train so hard. It’s an incredible feeling to have all those sacrifices finally rewarded. I don’t ride my bike to finish 50th. I like to win. Alberto Bettiol was very strong, but I knew I could impose my strength. With one kilometer to go, I felt that the peloton would not catch us. When I launched my sprint, I immediately found myself alone. I could really enjoy my moment.

 

“In full final we got a gap with four riders. Soon we were reduced to three because Alexis Gougeard was dropped. Also Guillaume Martin fell off.

 

"I still cannot believe I've won a World Tour race. This is huge. Our team is stopping at the end of this year. Fortunately, I have found a home. In 2017 I will move to AG2R La Mondiale but every rider in our current team is still very motivated. We all want to finish in a beautiful way, it seems. Today we wanted to make way and we did from the start.

 

“It is an incredible last moment for our team. Jonas Vangenechten won a stage in the Vuelta a Espana, today I win the Bretagne Classic.

 

"I know I'm not slow at the finish which I've proven again today. It was my first participation in this race and immediately I've won. You can not do better in dreams."

 

With Oliver Naesen success on Sunday, IAM Cycling notched up its 17th victory of the season. The Belgian rider also gave the Swiss team its 50th podium place of the year.  A few minutes later, Dries Devenyns took second place in the 9th stage of the Vuelta, to increase the total number of podium places to 51.

 

“This new course is really similar to a cobbled classic,” explained Thierry Marichal. “It was tailor-made for Oliver Naesen. We knew that the last 70 kilometers would be decisive. I gave instructions to the riders to get to the head of the pack at that point. Martin Elmiger, David Tanner and Oliver had carte blanche in the final. Oli was able to show his initiative. Jonathan Fumeaux followed his example, but unfortunately was unable to bridge up to the leading trio. Nevertheless, the race finished as well as we could have hoped. I am completely satisfied.”

 

"Oliver has proved again this Sunday that he is an extremely talented rider. I am not going to predict that he will win a classic like Paris-Roubaix one day. But when someone is able to win the Grand Prix de Plouay, a World Tour race, you are bound to have a promising future,” Thierry Marichal said.

 

A member of the counter-attacking group up until a few kilometers from the finish, Swiss national champion Jonathan Fumeaux was fully up to the challenges of the new race route.

 

“I am happy with how I felt,” Fumeaux admitted. “With a little more luck, I might have been able to be up front with Oli. But the team won, and that is the important point. Being able to be at the front of a group as powerful as this gives me great confidence and a boost for the rest of the season.”

 

Alexander Kristoff: I really struggled on the climbs

Team Katusha knew what to do to defend the 2015 of teammate Alexander Kristoff, and they assumed the responsibility for the control of the race throughout the 247 km day. It wasn’t quite enough to secure the win in the 50th Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. Kristoff sprinted in for third place at five-seconds behind winner Oliver Naesen of IAM Cycling.

 

“The break was stronger today. I won the sprint from the group, but I really struggled on the climb. I came back after that and I felt I had control in the sprint, but unfortunately there were two guys in the front so it was third place to me. I felt not super today, but in the sprint I felt good, so I am happy with this result although, of course, I was hoping for a win like last year. We had good control, but perhaps the break was caught too early. Jacopo [Guarnieri] went in the second break and showed he was very strong today. Also he and Marco [Haller] kept me in a good position all the time. I am very happy with the work they did and the work of the entire team. I tried to win and I made the most of it,” said team leader Alexander Kristoff.

 

Jurgen Van den Broeck, Vladimir Isaychev and later Dmitriy Kozonchuk worked at the front of the race to control the early breakaway. Once they were brought back, Jacopo Guarnieri put himself in the next break to protect Kristoff. Later both Guarnieri and Marco Haller worked hard to bring back the last break, showing consistent and strong teamwork on today’s race.

 

Michael Matthews ready for great season finale after fourth place in Bretagne

Tour de France stage winner Michael Matthews sprinted to fourth place today in the Bretagne Classic Ouest-France as two leading riders held off the charge from the peloton to claim the top two steps of the podium.

 

A furious pace was set in the final 15kilometres of the one-day race with Orica-BikeExchange working hard to reel in a trio of leaders hovering around the one-minute mark.

 

In a very unpredictable close final, Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling) successfully held off the reduced bunch to claim the victory.

 

“It was a totally different parcours today except for the final lap,” explained sport director Matt White. “It was pretty average weather and the bunch really disintegrated in the final, usually a lot more guys get to the line and can help with the chasing.

 

“I thought with five kilometres to go when the gap was down to 25seconds that we would have a chance to catch the two riders once we got onto the last climb.

 

"So chapeau to those two guys who held off the bunch, that was a super ride to hang on for the win and a little bit more unpredictable this year.

 

”Michael rode well today, it is his first race in a month since the Prudential RideLondon and if it all goes well I think it will be a really good finish to the season for him.

 

“He should be very competitive in Canada and I know he is very motivated for the World Championships. Overall it was a good race from all the boys here today.”

 

John Degenkolb disappointed to miss the podium in Plouay

John Degenkolb was 3rd in bunch sprint just a few seconds behind the winning rider, meaning 5th on the day for him.

Coach Adriaan Helmantel said after the stage:

 

“The race was pretty controlled from the start, but never easy. The goal was to sprint with John [Degenkolb] and the other riders did a good job protecting him. We had some bad moments, first Roy [Curvers] and then later John had a puncture. Bert [De Backer] gave his wheel to John, since the car was far behind, then Albert [Timmer] did an amazing job bringing John back to the bunch. The final was chaotic and became a sprint for 3rd for us. Simon [Geschke], Sam [Oomen] and Søren [Kragh Andersen] were still there to support John,  and he came 3rd in the bunch, so 5th overall. Of course everyone was a bit disappointed to miss the podium, but we rode a good race. It’s also good to see the young guys Sam and Søren make it to the real final.”

 

Maciej Paterski after WorldTour top 10: Hopefully this is a good omen

Maciej Paterski claimed 6th place in the UCI WorldTour race, Bretagne Classic – Ouest-France, coming at the line among the top sprinters.

 

“I’m really satisfied with today’s result. I felt very well throughout the entire race and in the end I was trying to be aggressive. Despite that effort I still had some power left in the legs for the sprint. I hope that this result is a good omen ahead of the next races in the second part of the season,” Maciej Paterski said afterwards.

 

Paterski only lost to some of the biggest sprinting names. Only Alexander Kristoff, Michael Matthews and John Degenkolb finished ahead of the CCC Sprandi Polkowice rider in the sprint.

 

Giacomo Nizzolo and Jasper Stuyven left disappointed after hard race in Bretagne

Giacomo Nizzolo sprinted to 8th place as both he and Jasper Stuyven were vibrant forces in a thrilling and rainy Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France Sunday.

 

The altered course for the 50th edition of the French Classic – a hefty 235 kilometers raced before tackling just over one lap of the well-known 14-kilometer circuit in Plouay – played out with an aggressive final 50 kilometers after the day's eight-man breakaway had been reeled in.

 

The constant attacks had groups forming off the front in the hilly Bretagne terrain, including one with Stuyven and an attentive Nizzolo, who had jumped across to the move.

 

Finally, seven men pedaled clear, and Stuyven quickly bridged to the group that ultimately swelled to 27 riders on the relentless climbing roads. The attacking continued with four riders eventually separating and building up a lead they would hold to the end, while the peloton clawed its way back to the Stuyven group.

 

"I did not feel so good in the beginning of the race; yesterday was a long day of travel," explained Stuyven. "But in the end, I was feeling good, and I was in the breakaway of the big group that went away. Unfortunately, I was the only one of the team there, and it was really hard to follow all the moves. Then you see that one move was the one that went for the victory, and that makes it a little bit more disappointing for myself.

 

“In the finale, I followed some moves, I was still feeling good, but we finished empty-handed. For me - and for Giacomo - it is not nice to finish this day like we did when you feel so good."

 

On the local lap, two men resisted, holding a minute's gap with 10 kilometers to race. Although the peloton furiously chased, the pair held a small gap to the finish where Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling) outkicked Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac) for the victory.

 

A fistful of seconds later the peloton roared in on their heels, and Giacomo Nizzolo sprinted to 6th place from the bunch, putting him in 8th place overall.

 

"It was a really, really tough race," said Nizzolo. "And with the rain, it made it much harder than we expected. In the last 50kms, for many reasons, only Jasper and myself were in the front, and it was not easy to control. It was really hard – the rhythm in the last 50kms was always high with many attacks.

 

"Then in the sprint, we took it from the front, and I was a bit too early. But the speed was so high - my cadence was so high I had to sit down and then a few guys passed me. But for the tough race that it was, I was still there. Mentally, today was really tough, and I did my best. I am happy about that."

 

Matteo Trentin optimistic after another WorldTour top 10 in Bretagne

27-year-old Matteo Trentin was there for Etixx – Quick-Step and finished in 9th, same result he got one week ago, in the Cyclassics Hamburg, where he took over sprinting duties from Marcel Kittel, after the German punctured inside the last kilometer.

 

"It was a fast, eventful and thrilling race. I was at all times in the thick of the action, the team did a good job, but unfortunately I missed some luck in the finale. Ninth is a good result, which comes as confirmation of my strong condition and makes me look with confidence to my next races, Parix-Brussels and Fourmies", said Matteo Trentin, a stage winner at both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de Wallonie this year.

No repeat win for Edvald Boasson Hagen in Bretagne

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka were looking after Norwegian champion Edvald Boasson Hagen. The rough narrow roads made positioning very important and Boasson Hagen was always well placed up front.

 

At one stage Boasson Hagen found himself in a 30 rider lead group with just 30km to go but it was from this group where the winning counter attack came from Naesen and Bettiol.  As a largely reduced main bunch tried to get organised and reel back the 2 leaders, the African Team had Boasson Hagen and Kanstantsin Siutsou still in contention. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg was also part of the final selection but a crash on the slick and wet roads put an end to his race before the finish line was reached. 

 

Boasson Hagen would end in 10th place overall for the African Team.

 

Greg Van Avermaet: The new course was not hard enough

The wet and windy weather didn’t dampen any excitement out on the roads of Brittany as today’s Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France came down to a thrilling final chase on the home straight which saw late breakaway rider Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling) clinch victory ahead of the main bunch.

 

With the early eight-rider breakaway caught, the action started to heat up over the final 50 kilometers of the race and the high speed being set at the front of the peloton saw a large group of riders go clear, including Daniel Oss.

 

Loïc Vliegen was the first BMC Racing Team rider across the line, finishing in twelfth place after being part of the bunch sprint for third.

 

Greg Van Avermaet said:

 

“It was a really good feeling to be racing for the first time as Olympic champion with the golden bike and all the gadgets and to be honest I was feeling really good and was happy with my shape. It’s always difficult to make good results at Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France so when you have good legs going into the race it’s always a bit of a luxury.

 

“I tried to make an attack on the last climbs and was able to get clear from the bunch but then they were able to come back and we ended up in a bunch sprint for third. For me, the new parcours was maybe not as difficult as previous years and I think maybe the smaller roads could have helped the breakaway in the end. Having a different parcours definitely changes things as perhaps we didn’t calculate it in the end as well as we could have.”

 

Sports director Fabio Baldato said:

 

“It wasn’t the result we wanted today but I think we can be pleased with the form everyone showed. When the early breakaway was caught there was a good move from Daniel Oss to cover the attacks as we knew that would put us into a good position for the final. Greg Van Avermaet was then part of a group that was able to join Oss and brought the main bunch back up to around twenty riders and it was at that point that the four riders went.

 

“Our guys did a good job trying to control the group and also did some good attacks including a final one from Van Avermaet with five kilometers to go, but it just wasn't enough to bring the final two breakaway riders back. In the end Loïc Vliegen was part of the bunch sprint for third and was our first rider across the line, just outside the top ten.”

 

In-form Danny Van Poppel miss out on the top 10 in Bretagne

Team Sky were active in an entertaining edition of the Bretagne Classic, with Danny van Poppel the first man home in France.

 

Van Poppel sprinted to 13th, but he was denied the opportunity to sprint for the win after Oliver Naesen (IAM) stayed away from a late break to seal a fine victory.

 

Naesen and Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac) had stolen away from the reduced peloton after a tumultuous final 50 kilometres in France and had a minute's gap with 10km remaining, which proved to be enough for the pair, with Naesen jumping round Bettiol to take a comfortable win.

 

Van Poppel sprinted in vain from the bunch behind, with 2015 winner Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) emerging from the group to claim the final spot on the podium.

 

Once the day's break had been caught 52km from the finish the racing became furious in France, as riders tried to break away once again.

 

Ben Swift crashed on the wet roads, but was quickly back on his bike, and then Gianni Moscon bridged across to one of the numerous failed breaks.

 

Lars Petter Nordhaug then joined a strong chase group in pursuit of the Naesen foursome, which was quickly whittled down to two.

 

Sick Peter Sagan ‘gutted’ to abandon in Bretagne

At the end of a tough, 235km rolling race around Plouay at the Bretagne-Classic – Ouest France, Michael Valgren was Tinkoff’s fastest finisher in the main group that crossed the line just seconds behind two riders from a late escape. The two managed to fend of the peloton by a matter of metres, with Valgren finishing just outside the top ten in 15th place. Peter Sagan had to withdraw two hours into the race after not feeling well.

 

The race got underway with an eight rider breakaway early in the day, with the peloton taking on a new route for the majority of the race before re-joining the usual finishing circuit of the past years. Focusing their efforts for the tough fight that unravels late in the day here, Tinkoff looked after the team’s leaders, including Michael, Oscar Gatto and Roman Kreuziger.

 

With cold temperatures and rain falling in the first two hours, Peter Sagan – making his return to the road here after his mountain bike foray in Rio – eventually withdrew from the race, suffering with the tough conditions.

 

“I’m really gutted that I had to abandon the Bretagne Classic as I was looking forward to this race and was really motivated for a result,” Sagan told. “However, I wasn’t feeling well and the tough weather in the first few hours made it hard for me to continue, so we decided that I stop as to not jeopardise my upcoming races. Now I will recover and prepare for Canada.”

 

Once the break had been reeled back in, there was still plenty of racing to be had and the attacks started to fly. Small groups came and went, with Gatto, Valgren and Kreuziger getting in amongst them, but eventually a three rider group formed at the front and were allowed some space. Heading into the final 15km the advantage was still around a minute, but the chase was fierce behind with Tinkoff starting to add to the fire power at the front.

 

After the race, Sport Director Patxi Vila gave his thoughts on the day:

 

“It was a shame that we lost Peter – he wasn’t feeling too good last night and he dropped back to the car during the race and we decided he would stop after 50km. After this it was quite hard to change the strategy and the mind set, but we refocused on Oscar Gatto, Roman Kreuziger and Michael Valgren for the final moves.

 

“They worked well for this with Valgren getting in the first big attack, then the other two in the next one, but then the final small break survived to the line. It’s nice to see the breaks survive every now and again in these kind of races, and today for us I think we did our all.”

 

Strong Sep Vanmarcke mistimes attack in Bretagne

Team LottoNL-Jumbo failed to deliver a good result in the GP Bretagne today. Sep Vanmarcke chose to attack in the final part of the WorldTour race in Plouay, but his manoeuvre came too early. Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling) won the race.

 

 “This isn’t the result we aimed for,” Sports Director Frans Maassen said after he saw Wilco Kelderman finishing 17th. “It was a tough race and a lot happened in the final part. Sep Vanmarcke was strong and attacked, but it he wasn’t able to hold his advantage. A new group of riders escaped and I didn’t expect them to stay in front, but two of did.”

 

The peloton sprinted for the third place.

 

“Tom Van Asbroeck was our man in that sprint,” Maassen continued. “Wilco guided him to the front, but Tom was boxed in afterwards. We should have done better there, also with Sep. He could have perhaps waited longer to attack. We made this choice, fought for it, but didn’t deliver in the end.”

 

Guillaume Martin misses big chance in Bretagne

It was a good ride by Wanty’s Frenchman Guillaume Martin. He played an important role in the final kilometres of the race but was caught with three kilometres to go.

 

"I'm disappointed. Being at the front of a WorldTour-race doesn't happen many times in a season. The breakaway made it to the end, so there is a lot of frustration. I missed a podium spot."

 

Attacks from Rui Costa and Diego Ulissi unrewarded in Bretagne

The two captains of Lampre-Merida, Rui Costa and Diego Ulissi, made the necessary attempts to select the group in the final part of the Bretagne Classic-Ouest France but they did not make it into the top 10.

 

The blue-fuchsia-green colors had already been in the front of the race for a long time thanks to the Slovenian Matej Mohoric who succeeded in spending once again the Sunday in the main breakaway, as he had already done one week ago in the Cyclassics Hamburg.

 

On the final circuit, Rui Costa and Ulissi made their attempts but they could not complete their action and the peloton sprinted for the third place. Lampre-Merida, whose sprinter Cimolai was dropped with 4km to go, obtained the 30th position with Rui Costa.

 

Movistar aggression fails in Bretagne

The rain and wind marked the second competitive front on Sunday for Movistar Team.The men of José Luis Jaimerena showed themselves in the last 60 kilometers with Gorka Izaguirre, Jasha Sütterlin and, especially, Jesus Herrada who tried to catch the front trio on the final circuit.

 

Captain Grivko crashes out of contention in Bretagne

“We decided to ride to help Andrey Grivko to obtain a good result,” explained Astana sport director Giuseppe Martinelli after the finish. “And Andrey was in a very good shape and was doing good in the first part of the race.”

 

“Unfortunately the Ukrainian of the Astana Pro Team crashed and he was out og the fight for the race victory. Anyway it was a very diffcult race, as expected: more than 3000 meters of climbing and a light rain since the first km, an endless succession of climbs and descents, turns and ups and downs. It went how it went so now let’s focus on the next races of the seasonm” concluded Martinelli.