Cordon Ragot wins Drentse Acht van Westerveld

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Audrey Cordon-Ragot continued Trek-Segafredo's run of strong results, winning the Drentse Acht van Westerveld from a solo breakaway. The Frenchwoman earned her first UCI win in four years on a blustery day on which only 36 riders made it to the finish line.

"I don't know what to say! I am super happy!" Cordon-Ragot said in a team press release. "It such a good feeling – it's been a long time since I have put my hands up. Today was a good opportunity for me; it was a hard race, a warrior's race, and I like that. I am proud of the team, of me, and the way we rode together. I think everyone is happy for me. It's a really nice feeling."

The 145km race was punctuated by two trips over the VAMberg climb, a steep, short trip over a landfill, and with the windy conditions, the race was ripe for a breakaway.

14 riders made the front split in a crosswind section Ellen van Dijk, Lotta Lepistö and Cordon-Ragot - and this would prove to be the winning move of the race.

A crash on the descent of the VAMberg from Trek's Lotta Lepistö split the group, leaving only eight out front.

Along with Cordon Ragot and teammate Ellen Van Dijk, Amy Pieters (Boels Dolmans), Marta Bastianelli (Team Virtu Cycling), Alexis Ryan and Lisa Klein (Canyon-SRAM), Gracie Elvin (Mitchelton-Scott Women), and Evy Kuijpers (CCC-Liv) made the selection, building a massive lead over the remaining peloton that ballooned to almost 12 minutes by the race's end. The rest of the field was pulled from the race.

Trek-Segafredo directeur sportif Ina Teutenberg said the race went just as they anticipated. "I had a team meeting this morning, we knew there would be over 40kph winds, and we knew there were quite a few second-tier teams here. So, with winds, narrow roads and all that, we wanted an early echelon. That worked out perfectly, we had three riders out of 14 there. Unluckily - but also luckily because she didn't sustain any injuries - Lotta was taken out by a crash on the downhill of the VAMberg."

The leading group came together to the two finishing laps with 12km to go, and with Pieters and Bastianelli the superior sprinters in the group, Trek-Segafredo opted to attack.

"Our group worked well together to the end because there was still a long way to go," explained Cordon-Ragot. "When we were on the local lap of 6kms, we planned with Ellen to attack first, and then if that did not work, I would try in the sprint because I can also be fast."

Van Dijk, always game for aggressive racing, put in several scathing attacks which Cordon-Ragot successfully countered, getting away and then building an unassailable lead.

"After the attacks from Ellen, and (Gracie Elvin) Mitchelton-Scott also attacked, and when we slowed again, I found the opportunity to go," Cordon Ragot said. "It was a headwind, so I was thinking it was not the smartest move, but in the end, no one in the back was able to really chase because I think everyone was kaput."

Cordon-Ragot ended the race with a 90-second lead. "When I passed the finish line for the final lap, I did not feel my legs anymore. I just pulled as hard as I could, doing a proper time trial. When I saw the finish line, I finally turned my head and didn't see the group – only the cars behind me – then I knew I made it!"

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