Boels Dolmans Cycling Team, the top ranked team in the UCI Women’s WorldTour, brought the Grand Prix de Plouay-Lorient Agglomération to life on Saturday. The Dutch outfit took control of the race on the third of five laps, setting up former UCI World Champion Lizzie Deignan for her first UCI Women’s WorldTour win of the season. The race began in cagey fashion, none of the peloton wishing to expose themselves too early in the 121.5km test. However, when the Dutch registered outfit went to the front the race exploded. Deignan becomes one of only four women to have won the race twice, joining Noemi Cantele, compatriot Emma Pooley and last week’s Ladies Tour of Norway winner Marianne Vos (WM3 Pro Cycling Team). The last time the British rider won the event in 2015, she went on to win the rainbow jersey at the UCI Road World Championships. Both UCI Women’s WorldTour classification leaders consolidated their leads in France. Overall leader Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) finished 19th and, with none of her direct challengers racing, extended her lead. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling Team) also extended what is now an unassailable lead in the Best Young Rider classification.
Tuesday, 29th August to Sunday, 3rd September: Boels Rental Ladies Tour (NED)
Part of Saturday’s endlessly aggressive Canyon-SRAM Racing team, 25-year-old Cecchini already has incredible success behind her. Not only was she Italian road race champion for three successive years from 2014, she has a number of one-day and stage races victories to her name. A good all-rounder, she is yet to take a UCI Women’s WorldTour win, though she has come close with 2nd at both the GP de Plouay last year and the Ronde van Drenthe earlier this season. This year she has consistently bagged top-ten results at the highest level, particularly in the classics, and a notable 18th place in her first finish at the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile last month.
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