Bretagne Classic 2020 [LAST 10 KM]

August 25, 2020

Bretagne Classic 2020 – Plouay – Plouay : 247,8 km

The UCI WorldTour continues on Tuesday with the men’s Bretagne Classic-Ouest France one-day race in Plouay, France, where EF Pro Cycling’s Sep Vanmarcke will return to competition for the first time since the racing restart.In fact, Vanmarcke will then swap jerseys – and hopefully shorts – and represent Belgium at the following day’s European Championships road race, also in Plouay, as will just a handful of other riders, including Vanmarcke’s EF Pro Cycling Portuguese teammate Ruben Guerreiro and Great Britain’s Dan McLay (Arkéa-Samsic).

Michael Matthews (Sunweb) took a convincing win in the Bretagne Classic ahead of Luka Mezgec (Mitchelton-Scott) with Florian Sénéchal (Deceuninck – Quick Step) in third.

The race was peppered with attacks throughout the final 100km of racing but it came down to a cagy sprint finish from a small group after Matthew’s teammate Nils Eekhoff split the field with a strong surge before the line. The Dutch rider’s efforts almost proved too much after he went clear with Sénéchal, but he eased up just before the sprint to allow Matthews back into the fray.

In the sprint, there was little contest with Mezgec going early before Matthews came off his former teammate’s wheel and switched to the other side of the road.

“Luca had to go early in the sprint so I could wait. I just timed my sprint to perfection, I guess,” Matthews said at the finish.

“After my crash in Milan-San Remo it was difficult for my head. I knew that I had really good shape but to come back here, for my second race after lockdown, I’m really happy.”

Matthews was a thoroughly deserving winner. He used up as little energy as possible in the closing stages, and held off the temptation to jump into any of the dangerous attacks before the finish. His team, to their credit, were tactically astute with first-year pro Eekhoff lifting the pace in the finale before Matthews came through to take his first win since the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec last September.

The 29-year-old can now add another WorldTour win to is growing palmares before he takes a break and returns for both Tirreno-Adriatico and then the Giro d’Italia.

How it unfolded

The main action began when Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Floris De Tier (Alpecin-Fenix), Joey Rosskopf (CCC Team), Will Clarke (Trek-Segafredo), Zhandos Bizhigitov (Astana), and Alexander Cataford (Israel Start-Up Nation) formed the early break and quickly established a three-minute lead over the peloton. The race had started under a cloud after the entire Bora-hansgrohe squad had pulled out after one of their riders tested positive for COVID-19. That didn’t hamper the action as EF Pro Cycling, and UAE Team Emirates held the break and slowly reduced the lead to under 1:20.

Cavagna, clearly the strongest, but also more concerned with the number of Watts he could produce, rather than the number of friends he could win in the peloton, attacked through the feedzone inside the last 80km with only Rosskopf and De Tier able or willing to mount any form of chase.

With 45km to go the Deceuninck rider was caught as the peloton saw wave after wave of attacks reduce the gap. A few kilometres later, Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto Soudal), Robert Stannard (Mitchelton-Scott) and Albert Torres (Movistar) made a move and the trio at least managed to create some daylight between themselves and the peloton. The group, however, were soon caught, with Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ) countering alongside Sergio Henao (UAE Team Emirates).

Once more the peloton brought the leading group back into their clutches, before another round of attacks reduced the main field to less than 45 riders. Scott Thwaites (Alpecin-Fenix) attacked with purpose with 13km to go but he was overhauled by Romain Seigle (Groupama-FDJ) and then Victor Lafay (Cofidis) as Henao and the rest of the UAE Team Emirates looked to set up their fast finisher, Jasper Philipsen.

Sénéchal attacked on the final climb but Sunweb still had the numbers to not just bring him back, but also eliminate most of Matthews’ opposition. They almost gave the win away in the finale but Matthews and Eekhoff combined to take the team’s first win since a stage in Paris-Nice, back in March.

Results :
1 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb 6:01:14
2 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:01
3 Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck-Quickstep
4 Aime De Gendt (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
5 Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Nippo Delko Provence
6 Quinn Simmons (USA) Trek-Segafredo
7 Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:00:03
8 Daniel McLay (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:00:05
9 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
10 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Bahrain McLaren
11 Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates
12 Eduard-Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo Delko Provence
13 Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
14 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
15 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R la Mondiale
16 Samuele Battistella (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling
17 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis
18 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Circus – Wanty Gobert
19 Nathan Haas (Aus) Cofidis
20 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
21 Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
22 Simon Guglielmi (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
23 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
24 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
25 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
26 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
27 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-Up Nation
28 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Pro Cycling
29 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) EF Pro Cycling
30 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain McLaren
31 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
32 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Total Direct Energie
33 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
34 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis
35 Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
36 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
37 Marlon Gaillard (Fra) Total Direct Energie
38 Delio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Nippo Delko Provence
39 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
40 Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal
41 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) UAE Team Emirates
42 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
43 Julien Vermote (Bel) Cofidis
44 Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana Pro Team
45 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start-Up Nation 0:00:27
46 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:43
47 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Deceuninck-Quickstep 0:00:57
48 Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (Eth) Mitchelton-Scott
49 Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:14
50 Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) NTT Pro Cycling
51 Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:20
52 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis 0:02:27
53 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:03:21
54 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence 0:03:48
55 Michael Albasini (Swi) Mitchelton-Scott 0:04:01
56 Harm Vanhoucke (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:04:18
57 Floris De Tier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:04:38
58 Rick Zabel (Ger) Israel Start-Up Nation
59 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Lotto Soudal
60 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
61 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) CCC Team
62 Rasmus Tiller (Nor) NTT Pro Cycling
63 Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
64 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Deceuninck-Quickstep
65 Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain McLaren
66 Davide Martinelli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
67 Alexander Kamp (Den) Trek-Segafredo
68 Stefan De Bod (RSA) NTT Pro Cycling
69 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-Up Nation
70 Johan Jacobs (Swi) Movistar Team
71 Luis Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team
72 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal
73 Lawrence Naesen (Bel) AG2R la Mondiale
74 Albert Torres Barcelo (Spa) Movistar Team
75 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain McLaren 0:04:40
76 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-Quickstep 0:06:40
77 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-Quickstep
78 Tosh Van der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
79 Travis McCabe (USA) Israel Start-Up Nation 0:07:11
80 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:09:41
81 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:10:10
82 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Pro Cycling
83 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-Quickstep
84 Romain Le Roux (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
85 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Nippo Delko Provence 0:13:39
86 William Clarke (Aus) Trek-Segafredo 0:14:06
87 Charles Quarterman (GBr) Trek-Segafredo
88 Nico Denz (Ger) Team Sunweb
89 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
90 Frederik Backaert (Bel) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
91 Hernando Bohorquez Sanchez (Col) Astana Pro Team
92 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
93 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) CCC Team
94 Remy Mertz (Bel) Lotto Soudal
95 Biniam Girmay Hailu (Eri) Nippo Delko Provence
96 Alexander Cataford (Can) Israel Start-Up Nation
97 Sebastian Mora Vedri (Spa) Movistar Team
98 Kevin Inkelaar (Ned) Bahrain McLaren
99 Iñigo Elosegui Momeñe (Spa) Movistar Team
100 Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Movistar Team
101 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
102 Sean Bennett (USA) EF Pro Cycling
103 Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
104 Arnaud Courteille (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
DNF Logan Owen (USA) EF Pro Cycling
DNF Tom Scully (NZl) EF Pro Cycling
DNF Zhandos Bizhigitov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
DNF Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R la Mondiale
DNF Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
DNF Patrick Bevin (NZl) CCC Team
DNF Josef Cerny (Cze) CCC Team
DNF Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Team
DNF William Barta (USA) CCC Team
DNF Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) CCC Team
DNF Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bahrain McLaren
DNF Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain McLaren
DNS Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNS Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNS Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNS Patrick Gamper (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNS Oscar Gatto (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNS Jay Mc Carthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNS Ide Schelling (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) NTT Pro Cycling
DNF Michael Carbel Svendgaard (Den) NTT Pro Cycling
DNS Matteo Sobrero (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling
DNF Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Alvaro Jose Hodeg Chagui (Col) Deceuninck-Quickstep
DNF Romain Cardis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Jeremy Cabot (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Simon Sellier (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF Maxime Cam (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
DNF Adrien Garel (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
DNF Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
DNF Alexys Brunel (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Romain Hardy (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis
DNF Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Felix Gall (Aut) Team Sunweb
DNS Max Kanter (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Team Sunweb
DNF Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Fabien Doubey (Fra) Circus-Wanty Gobert
DNF Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
DNF Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Circus-Wanty Gobert
DNF Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Circus-Wanty Gobert
DNF Romain Combaud (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
DNF Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-Up Nation