Wout van Aert punches to reduced sprint victory at Bretagne Classic-Ouest France
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This article originally appeared on Velo News
Wout van Aert kicked out of a small group to win Bretagne Classic-Ouest France after a relentless attacking display Sunday.
The Jumbo-Visma ace surged past Axel Laurance (B&B Hotels) and Alexander Kamp (Trek-Segafredo) in an 18-rider gallop in Plouay to claim his first victory in the historic WorldTour classic.
Victory reverses Van Aert’s disappointment after being caught out by Marco Haller at the Bemer Cyclassic last weekend.
Van Aert countered a series of moves in the final hour of racing in north west France as rivals tried to neutralize his sprinting threat before he surged for his ninth victory of the season.
The Belgian was a dominant force at the Tour de France this summer with three stage victories, and now rides toward the world championships via the Canadian Grand Prix races.
“I was sick for a week after the Tour, but I took my time to recover,” Van Aert said at the finish. “I’m happy with my legs. At four weeks from worlds, it’s important to stay focused.”
Van Aert’s Tour de France and rainbow jersey rivals Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) and Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) were absent from the decisive action. Defending champ Benoit Cosnefroy (Ag2r-Citroen) finished 20th.
HE. DOES. IT. AGAIN! 💥 pic.twitter.com/HrB9UVBh0S
-- Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) August 28, 2022
A six-rider move went off the front early of Sunday’s 254km Breton marathon.
Luke Rowe (Ineos Grenadiers), Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels), Chris Hamilton (DSM), Yevgeniy Gidich (Astana Qazaqstan), Johan Meens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces) and Martin Urianstad (UNO X) made the escape and built out a solid gap.
Ten riders blasted across to the six leaders as the race clicked into its final hour as UAE Emirates, DSM, and Groupama FDJ all pushed two riders into the front group of 16.
The UAE Emirates duo of Matteo Trentin and Rui Oliveira did their best to keep the rest of the move alive, but the peloton had other plans.
Jumbo-Visma missed the breakaway and went on a mission to keep a lid on the race for Van Aert. The Dutch crew cut the gap to 30 seconds before Van Aert engaged race-mode.
The Belgian breezed across to the stragglers from the day’s break at 25km to go before the rest of the bunch clawed its way across. Van Aert kept hammering solo at the front of the 60-strong group while the rest of his team vanished.
Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) went solo out of the escape for several kilometers and was joined by Andrea Piccolo (EF Education EasyPost) and Samuele Zoccarato (Bardiani CSF) for the final 13km circuit around Plouay.
The trio dangled some 15 seconds ahead of the fragmented break, but Van Aert kept motoring in a small pack of favorites that included threats like Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty Gobert), Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Soudal) and Jonathan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers).
The race all came together inside the final 5km.
Oliver Naesen (Ag2r Citroen) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama FDJ) tried to preempt the bunch sprint, but Van Aert marked them out.
Tratnik attacked again at 3km to go, but again, it was Van Aert that countered, and the race rumbled toward the final sprint.
Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France Results
1 | VAN AERT Wout | Jumbo-Visma | 6:04:22 |
2 | LAURANCE Axel | B&B Hotels - KTM | 0:00 |
3 | KAMP Alexander | Trek - Segafredo | 0:00 |
4 | DE LIE Arnaud | Lotto Soudal | 0:00 |
5 | FIORELLI Filippo | Bardiani-CSF-Faizane | 0:00 |
6 | GIRMAY Biniam | Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux | 0:00 |
7 | NAESEN Oliver | AG2R Citroen Team | 0:00 |
8 | THOMAS Benjamin | Cofidis | 0:00 |
9 | SKUJINS Toms | Trek - Segafredo | 0:00 |
10 | PICCOLO Andrea | EF Education-EasyPost | 0:00 |
11 | BURGAUDEAU Mathieu | TotalEnergies | 0:00 |
12 | ARANBURU Alex | Movistar Team | 0:00 |
13 | BARGUIL Warren | Team Arkea Samsic | 0:00 |
14 | TRATNIK Jan | Bahrain - Victorious | 0:00 |
15 | MADOUAS Valentin | Groupama - FDJ | 0:00 |
16 | HONORE Mikkel Frolich | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 0:00 |
17 | DE BUYST Jasper | Lotto Soudal | 0:00 |
18 | GILBERT Philippe | Lotto Soudal | 0:00 |
19 | IZAGIRRE Ion | Cofidis | 0:05 |
20 | COSNEFROY Benoit | AG2R Citroen Team | 0:08 |
21 | LATOUR Pierre | TotalEnergies | 0:18 |
22 | URIANSTAD Martin | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 0:27 |
23 | VENTURINI Clement | AG2R Citroen Team | 0:29 |
24 | TIZZA Marco | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 0:29 |
25 | SCARONI Christian | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 0:29 |
26 | ULISSI Diego | UAE Team Emirates | 0:29 |
27 | MATTHEWS Michael | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 0:29 |
28 | SCHMID Mauro | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 0:29 |
29 | VAUQUELIN Kevin | Team Arkea Samsic | 0:29 |
30 | CLARKE Simon | Israel - Premier Tech | 0:29 |
31 | CAMPENAERTS Victor | Lotto Soudal | 0:29 |
32 | ZOCCARATO Samuele | Bardiani-CSF-Faizane | 0:29 |
33 | ALEOTTI Giovanni | BORA - hansgrohe | 0:29 |
34 | SERRANO Gonzalo | Movistar Team | 0:29 |
35 | ROLLAND Pierre | B&B Hotels - KTM | 0:29 |
36 | OLIVEIRA Rui | UAE Team Emirates | 0:32 |
37 | VAN DEN BERG Marijn | EF Education-EasyPost | 1:03 |
38 | TEUNS Dylan | Israel - Premier Tech | 1:09 |
39 | CLAEYS Dimitri | Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux | 1:09 |
40 | PARET-PEINTRE Aurelien | AG2R Citroen Team | 1:09 |
41 | HOELGAARD Markus | Trek - Segafredo | 1:23 |
42 | BITTNER Pavel | Team DSM | 1:25 |
43 | NARVAEZ Jhonatan | INEOS Grenadiers | 1:37 |
44 | NEILANDS Krists | Israel - Premier Tech | 2:41 |
45 | VLIEGEN Loic | Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux | 2:41 |
46 | CORT Magnus | EF Education-EasyPost | 3:09 |
47 | VELASCO Simone | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 3:09 |
48 | DEWULF Stan | AG2R Citroen Team | 3:09 |
49 | GOUGEARD Alexis | B&B Hotels - KTM | 3:09 |
50 | NIZZOLO Giacomo | Israel - Premier Tech | 3:09 |
51 | LIEPINS Emils | Trek - Segafredo | 3:09 |
52 | VIVIANI Elia | INEOS Grenadiers | 3:09 |
53 | GIBBONS Ryan | UAE Team Emirates | 3:09 |
54 | KEUKELEIRE Jens | EF Education-EasyPost | 3:09 |
55 | BLOUWE Louis | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 3:09 |
56 | GRONDIN Donavan | Team Arkea Samsic | 3:09 |
57 | GARCIA CORTINA Ivan | Movistar Team | 3:09 |
58 | ARASHIRO Yukiya | Bahrain - Victorious | 3:09 |
59 | PAGE Hugo | Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux | 3:09 |
60 | PASQUALON Andrea | Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux | 3:09 |
61 | GABBURO Davide | Bardiani-CSF-Faizane | 3:09 |
62 | MODOLO Sacha | Bardiani-CSF-Faizane | 3:09 |
63 | HOFSTETTER Hugo | Team Arkea Samsic | 3:09 |
64 | MAAS Jan | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 3:09 |
65 | ASKEY Lewis | Groupama - FDJ | 3:09 |
66 | BOIVIN Guillaume | Israel - Premier Tech | 3:09 |
67 | ARCAS Jorge | Movistar Team | 3:09 |
68 | MOZZATO Luca | B&B Hotels - KTM | 3:09 |
69 | DVERSNES Fredrik | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 3:09 |
70 | KUNG Stefan | Groupama - FDJ | 3:09 |
71 | MEENS Johan | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 3:09 |
72 | GENIETS Kevin | Groupama - FDJ | 3:09 |
73 | PICHON Laurent | Team Arkea Samsic | 3:09 |
74 | SIMON Julien | TotalEnergies | 3:09 |
75 | BONNAMOUR Franck | B&B Hotels - KTM | 3:09 |
76 | HAMILTON Chris | Team DSM | 3:09 |
77 | CHEREL Mikael | AG2R Citroen Team | 3:09 |
78 | VAN MOER Brent | Lotto Soudal | 3:09 |
79 | FRISON Frederik | Lotto Soudal | 3:09 |
80 | HEINSCHKE Leon | Team DSM | 3:09 |
81 | TONELLI Alessandro | Bardiani-CSF-Faizane | 3:09 |
82 | BIDARD Francois | Cofidis | 3:09 |
83 | BAGIOLI Andrea | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 3:09 |
84 | RANGEL COSTA Vinicius | Movistar Team | 3:09 |
85 | LAENGEN Vegard Stake | UAE Team Emirates | 3:09 |
86 | SCHELLING Ide | BORA - hansgrohe | 3:09 |
87 | SWIFT Connor | Team Arkea Samsic | 3:09 |
88 | TRENTIN Matteo | UAE Team Emirates | 3:09 |
89 | POGACAR Tadej | UAE Team Emirates | 3:09 |
90 | DUNBAR Eddie | INEOS Grenadiers | 3:09 |
91 | STORER Michael | Groupama - FDJ | 3:09 |
92 | MARTIN Guillaume | Cofidis | 3:09 |
93 | GAUDU David | Groupama - FDJ | 3:09 |
94 | VERMEERSCH Florian | Lotto Soudal | 3:23 |
95 | ABRAHAMSEN Jonas | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 6:29 |
96 | PRICE-PEJTERSEN Johan | Bahrain - Victorious | 6:29 |
97 | CONTI Valerio | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 6:29 |
98 | CARUSO Damiano | Bahrain - Victorious | 6:29 |
99 | ZEITS Andrey | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 6:29 |
100 | BARTHE Cyril | B&B Hotels - KTM | 6:29 |
101 | ZWIEHOFF Ben | BORA - hansgrohe | 6:29 |
102 | DEVRIENDT Tom | Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux | 6:29 |
103 | DECLERCQ Tim | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 6:29 |
104 | RESELL Erik Nordsaeter | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 6:29 |
105 | ABERASTURI Jon | Trek - Segafredo | 6:29 |
106 | BENEDETTI Cesare | BORA - hansgrohe | 6:29 |
107 | SAGAN Peter | TotalEnergies | 6:29 |
108 | GAUTIER Cyril | B&B Hotels - KTM | 6:29 |
109 | BISSEGGER Stefan | EF Education-EasyPost | 6:29 |
110 | MOLLY Kenny | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 6:29 |
111 | PLANCKAERT Baptiste | Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux | 6:29 |
112 | VIVIANI Attilio | Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB | 6:29 |
113 | VERGAERDE Otto | Trek - Segafredo | 6:29 |
114 | TUSVELD Martijn | Team DSM | 6:29 |
115 | COMBAUD Romain | Team DSM | 6:29 |
116 | PUCCIO Salvatore | INEOS Grenadiers | 6:29 |
117 | FUGLSANG Jakob | Israel - Premier Tech | 6:29 |
118 | TURGIS Anthony | TotalEnergies | 6:29 |
119 | ZANA Filippo | Bardiani-CSF-Faizane | 6:29 |
120 | STYBAR Zdenek | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 6:29 |
121 | TILLER Rasmus | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 6:29 |
122 | DEMARE Arnaud | Groupama - FDJ | 6:29 |
123 | ROWE Luke | INEOS Grenadiers | 10:05 |
124 | PEREZ Anthony | Cofidis | 10:05 |
125 | POSTLBERGER Lukas | BORA - hansgrohe | 11:17 |
126 | GAMPER Patrick | BORA - hansgrohe | 11:17 |
127 | NATAROV Yuriy | Astana Qazaqstan Team | 11:17 |
128 | DOUBEY Fabien | TotalEnergies | 11:17 |
129 | GOVEKAR Matevz | Bahrain - Victorious | 11:17 |
130 | SKAARSETH Anders | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 11:17 |
131 | BARTA Will | Movistar Team | 11:17 |
132 | ZINGLE Axel | Cofidis | 13:47 |
133 | ROOSEN Timo | Jumbo-Visma | 13:47 |
134 | WISNIOWSKI Lukasz | EF Education-EasyPost | 13:47 |
135 | LANGEVELD Sebastian | EF Education-EasyPost | 13:47 |
136 | BALLERINI Davide | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 13:47 |
137 | EENKHOORN Pascal | Jumbo-Visma | 13:47 |
138 | RIVERA Brandon Smith | INEOS Grenadiers | 13:47 |
139 | WILLIAMS Stephen | Bahrain - Victorious | 13:47 |
Results provided by ProCyclingStats.
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