Call her Emma Plouay!

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The GP Plouay-Bretagne had the same top three as last year, as Emma Pooley (Cervelo) took victory ahead of Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) and Emma Johansson (Redsun Cycling Team). The British champion claimed an impressive solo victory while the Dutch star secured her third overall win in the World Cup. Judith Arndt (HTC-Columbia) accompanied the trio in the winning breakaway. For the first time, Plouay hosted the World Cup finale.

“I wore the jersey from the first race on, since the Trofeo Binda,” Vos said afterwards. “So I’ve worried all year about keeping the jersey and I’m relieved now. I was focused on the World Cup classification. I knew Emma Johansson could beat me but I also knew the third place was enough. However, I wanted to win the race too. When Emma Pooley attacked on the second climb of the circuit, I could just hold her wheel but when she went in the last hill, I had to let her go. She was too strong.”

“Emma (Pooley) was really, really strong today!” exclaimed the other Emma, Johansson. “As for myself, I suffered so much, so I’m quite happy to finish in the top three like last year.” After being sick earlier in the season, the Swedish champion will be satisfied to be back at a level that will allow her to travel to the world championships with big ambitions.

Pooley becomes the first woman to win in Plouay two years in a row, but she didn’t want to take this race as an indication for the Worlds in Australia in October. “Last year I won here and I was shit at the Worlds,” she said with a big laugh.

Her second win in Brittany was also thanks in no small part to the excellent tactics of the Cervélo team. Her teammate Elizabeth Armitstead went away solo in the first half of the race. “She went early and it was a super strong attack,” Pooley said. “It was so far to go on your own! We were hoping for Columbia to counter attack but (fellow Cervélo rider) Sharon (Laws) joined Liza. The other teams had to chase then. Two Cervélo riders, that was too dangerous for our adversaries.”

Judith Arndt closed the gap for HTC-Columbia and she took the three best riders with her. “This circuit is our type of course,” Johansson explained. “There are corners and just no let up.”

“It suits us because it’s a selective course,” Pooley added. “It was also the last race of the World Cup series. The same two as last year (Vos and Johansson) were fighting for the overall win, and me… I was just lucky to be there again.”

Pooley was definitely the strongest. On the final hill of Ty-Marrec, which featured in the world championship held in Plouay ten years ago, she simply rode her three adversaries off her wheel. Vos hesitated a little too much and subsequently tried to bridge the gap but Pooley didn’t give her a chance to come across and soloed to a fine victory.

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