Viviani wins Bretagne Classic in Plouay

Image 1 of 37

Elia Viviani (Team Sky) won the bunch sprint to take the Bretagne Classic – Ouest France in Plouay. He beat out Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida).

It was a day of attack groups, with many forming early and getting away but never for long. Finally Dries Devenyns (Quick-Step Floors), Sylvain Dillier (BMC), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Sky), Arnaud Gérard (Fortuneo-Oscaro), Paul Martens (LottoNL-Jumbo), Jacopo Mosca (Willier Triestina-Selle Italia), Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) and Petr Vakoc (QuickStep Floors) were able to break away and build up a lead of not quite a minute. Team Sunweb and Dimension Data, neither in that front group, led the chase.

This group too was doomed to failure, and soon only Devenyns and Dillier were left in the lead. With 20 kilometres to go they had only 15 seconds on the reduced chasing peloton. Dillier dropped Devenyns and was then joined by Cyril Gautier (AG2R), Albert Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac), Nathan Haas (Dimension Data), Hector Carretero (Movistar), Pieter Serry (Quick-Step Floors), Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) and Julien Simon (Cofidis). They took 20 seconds with them into the final 10 kilometres.

The field moved closer and closer as the finish line approached. Even though Dillier was up front, BMC lead the chase. Things totally fell apart on the final climb, the Ty-Marrec, and Bettiol jumped to take a lead solo. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) was among a number of riders who made the attempt to bridge to him, but Bettiol crested the climb alone. The pack closed him down at the flamme rouge, however, setting up a closing sprint, with Viviani pulling past Kristoff in the closing metres to take the win.

Full Results