Simon wins Tour du Finistère

After attempts at the Route Adélie (3rd) and Paris-Camembert (16th), Julien Simon (Saur-Sojasun) finally gave local fans confirmation of his exploits at the Volta Catalunya in March. On Saturday the Breton rider claimed the first win of his career on French soil as he outsprinted the whole bunch at the Tour du Finistère, in the same place where Thor Hushovd won stage 8 of the 2004 Tour de France in Quimper.

Breakaway riders Dimitri Champion (Bretagne-Schuller) and Jean-Marc Marino (Saur-Sojasun) were caught with only one kilometer to go but that was an obvious outcome for the numerous spectators of cycling-mad region of Brittany.

“With my teammate away almost all day, my situation was royal,” Simon said.

“With two laps to go (17km), I told myself that I had to focus solely on the sprint. We had to use the final hill to put the pure sprinters like [defending champion] Romain Feillu in the red. I’m not a pure sprinter but I was logically announced as one of the favorites because the uphill finish suited me really well.”

The other rider that Simon feared mostly was Samuel Dumoulin, but the Cofidis rider seems to have lost his superiority in uphill sprint finishes on French soil this Spring. “My two victories in Catalunya have definitely changed me”, Simon explained. “In the past, I would have never dared to launch the sprint the way I’ve done it today. My confidence is great now. But I actually sprinted from too far out. After following [teammate Laurent] Mangel on the hill, I was ahead with 500 meters to go. Fortunately, Eric Berthou [of rival team Bretagne-Schuller] passed me in the last curve and I was able to take the lead again with 200 meters to go.”

“This is my first pro win in France”, said Simon, 26, who turned pro with Crédit Agricole in 2008 and won his first race last year at Villafranca in Spain.

“I’ve dreamt about it and now I’ve done it. Now I’m going to the Ardennes classics with a great motivation. It won’t be the same level of racing though! It’s flat out all the time. It’ll be a good experience anyway. If I could be in the top 15 at Flèche Wallonne, I’d be happy, but it finishes on a wall. I’m told that Liège-Bastogne-Liège suits me better. I have to see by myself if it’s true or not.”

The surprise of the top 3 was Englishman Jonathan McEvoy, 22, who took third place behind Frenchmen Simon and Dumoulin. “But I’m not surprised to be there”, McEvoy told Cyclingnews. “I’m in good form really and I knew it after winning on the British Premier calendar last week. We came here with a strong team on a course that suited me and I positioned myself pretty well. I followed my teammates and the Cofidis rider [Dumoulin]. Tactics were good but I just didn’t have the legs for winning.”

McEvoy will try and get his first international win at the Tour de Bretagne from April 25 to May 1st. The rider from St. Helen’s near Liverpool is obviously ready to pursue Endura Racing’s strong showing in France after the triumphs of Jonathan Tiernan-Locke at the Tour of Mediterranean and the Tour du Haut-Var earlier this year.

Full Results

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Julien Simon (Fra) Saur-Sojasun4:14:35
2Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 1 - Cell 2
3Jonathan McEvoy (GBr) Endura RacingRow 2 - Cell 2
4Jérémie Galland (Fra) Saur-SojasunRow 3 - Cell 2
5Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La mondialeRow 4 - Cell 2
6Rémi Cusin (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 5 - Cell 2
7Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 6 - Cell 2
8Justin Jules (Fra) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 7 - Cell 2
9Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team0:00:03
10Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur-SojasunRow 9 - Cell 2
11Eric Berthou (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 10 - Cell 2
12Romain Hardy (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 11 - Cell 2
13Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar0:00:05
14Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 13 - Cell 2
15Ronan Racault (Fra) Auber 93Row 14 - Cell 2
16Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ-BigMatRow 15 - Cell 2
17Guillaume Faucon (Fra) Auber 93Row 16 - Cell 2
18Julien Guay (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 17 - Cell 2
19Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 18 - Cell 2
20Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 19 - Cell 2
21Sylvain Georges (Fra) AG2R La mondialeRow 20 - Cell 2
22Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) FDJ-BigMatRow 21 - Cell 2
23Clément Koretzky (Fra) La Pomme-Marseille0:00:10
24Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ-BigMat0:00:11
25Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 24 - Cell 2
26Yoann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 25 - Cell 2
27Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) GEOFCO-Ville d'Alger0:00:16
28Anthony Charteau (Fra) Team Europcar0:00:17
29Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ-BigMatRow 28 - Cell 2
30Mickael Olejnik (Pol) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 29 - Cell 2
31Florian Guillou (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 30 - Cell 2
32Stefan Denifl (Aut) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling TeamRow 31 - Cell 2
33Toms Skujins (Lat) La Pomme-MarseilleRow 32 - Cell 2
34Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 33 - Cell 2
35Rikke Dijkxhoorn (Ned) GEOFCO-Ville d'AlgerRow 34 - Cell 2
36Robert Partridge (GBr) Endura RacingRow 35 - Cell 2
37Yohan Cauquil (Fra) La Pomme-MarseilleRow 36 - Cell 2
38Steven Tronet (Fra) Auber 930:00:25
39Matthieu Boulo (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole0:00:26
40Laszlo Bodrogi (Fra) Team Type 1 - Sanofi0:00:31
41Romain Feillu (Fra) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling TeamRow 40 - Cell 2
42Laurent Mangel (Fra) Saur-SojasunRow 41 - Cell 2
43Gilles Devillers (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Euphony0:00:34
44Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 43 - Cell 2
45Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling TeamRow 44 - Cell 2
46Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La mondialeRow 45 - Cell 2
47Marcello Pavarin (Ita) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling TeamRow 46 - Cell 2
48Jacek Morajko (Pol) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling TeamRow 47 - Cell 2
49Guillaume Malle (Fra) Veranda Rideau - Super U0:00:38
50Florian Le Corre (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 49 - Cell 2
51Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La mondiale0:00:40
52Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-BigMat0:00:47
53Rene Mandri (Est) Endura Racing0:00:49
54Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Euphony0:00:52
55Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 54 - Cell 2
56Dean Windsor (Aus) Endura RacingRow 55 - Cell 2
57Scott Thwaites (GBr) Endura RacingRow 56 - Cell 2
58Jonathan Thire (Fra) Auber 930:01:01
59Tortelier Etienne (Fra) Saur-SojasunRow 58 - Cell 2
60Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Saur-SojasunRow 59 - Cell 2
61Mathieu Perget (Fra) AG2R La mondialeRow 60 - Cell 2
62Kevin Lalouette (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 61 - Cell 2
63Morgan Kneisky (Fra) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 62 - Cell 2
64Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 63 - Cell 2
65Rafaâ Chtioui (Tun) Team EuropcarRow 64 - Cell 2
66Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 65 - Cell 2
67Yohann Gené (Fra) Team Europcar0:01:17
68Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 67 - Cell 2
69Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling Team0:01:26
70Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur-Sojasun0:01:28
71Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 70 - Cell 2
72David Lelay (Fra) Saur-Sojasun0:01:35
73Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 72 - Cell 2
74Ibon Zugasti Arrese (Spa) Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery Desert0:02:15
75Nicolas Rousseau (Fra) Auber 93Row 74 - Cell 2
76Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ-BigMat0:02:24
77Erki Pütsep (Est) Alpha Baltic - Unitymarathons.com0:02:45
78Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) La Pomme-Marseille0:04:11
79Tomasz Olejnik (Pol) Veranda Rideau - Super U0:05:18
80Ola Inge Dropping (Nor) Alpha Baltic - Unitymarathons.com0:07:09
HDTomas Aurelio Gil Martinez (Arg) Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery DesertRow 80 - Cell 2
DNFFortin Filippo (Den) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 81 - Cell 2
DNFIno Ilesic Aldo (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 82 - Cell 2
DNFAlexander Serebryakov (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 83 - Cell 2
DNFMathieu Drujon (Fra) Auber 93Row 84 - Cell 2
DNFDimitri Le Boulcha (Fra) Auber 93Row 85 - Cell 2
DNFJohan Mombaerts (Fra) Auber 93Row 86 - Cell 2
DNFBoris Zimine (Bel) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 87 - Cell 2
DNFDenis Flahaut (Rus) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 88 - Cell 2
DNFMartijn Verschoor (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 89 - Cell 2
DNFSébastien Duret (Ita) Bretagne - SchullerRow 90 - Cell 2
DNFFlorent Barle (Slo) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 91 - Cell 2
DNFFabien Schmidt (Rus) Roubaix Lille MetropoleRow 92 - Cell 2
DNFSandy Casar (Ned) FDJ-BigMatRow 93 - Cell 2
DNFSébastien Chavanel (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 94 - Cell 2
DNFKevin Claeys (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - EuphonyRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFAnthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La mondialeRow 96 - Cell 2
DNFBoris Shpilevsky (Fra) AG2R La mondialeRow 97 - Cell 2
DNFKristof Goddaert (Fra) AG2R La mondialeRow 98 - Cell 2
DNFArnaud Labbe (Fra) Cofidis le Crédit en LigneRow 99 - Cell 2
DNFMartin Mortensen (Fra) Vacansoleil - DCM Procycling TeamRow 100 - Cell 2
DNFMaris Bogdanovics (Fra) Alpha Baltic - Unitymarathons.comRow 101 - Cell 2
DNFGaylord Cumont (Ltu) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 102 - Cell 2
DNFFranck Vermeulen (Fra) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 103 - Cell 2
DNFHenryk Cardoen (Fra) GEOFCO-Ville d'AlgerRow 104 - Cell 2
DNFMikael Stilite (GBr) GEOFCO-Ville d'AlgerRow 105 - Cell 2
DNFThomas Vernaeckt (Bel) GEOFCO-Ville d'AlgerRow 106 - Cell 2
DNFJames Spragg (Bel) GEOFCO-Ville d'AlgerRow 107 - Cell 2
DNFJack Tanner (Bel) GEOFCO-Ville d'AlgerRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFMauricio Frazer (Bel) Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery DesertRow 109 - Cell 2
DNFManuel Miranda Vergara (Bel) Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery DesertRow 110 - Cell 2
DNFNicolae Tanovitchii (Fra) Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery DesertRow 111 - Cell 2
DNFRuben Menendez Velasco (Fra) Start Cycling Team - Atacama Flowery DesertRow 112 - Cell 2
DNFKoen Barbe (Fra) Landbouwkrediet - EuphonyRow 113 - Cell 2
DNFReinis Andrijanovs (Fra) Alpha Baltic - Unitymarathons.comRow 114 - Cell 2
DNFMathieu Delaroziere (Bel) La Pomme-MarseilleRow 115 - Cell 2
DNFSandis Eislers (Bel) Alpha Baltic - Unitymarathons.comRow 116 - Cell 2
DNFFreddy Bichot (Bel) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 117 - Cell 2
DNFBaptiste Planckaert (GBr) Landbouwkrediet - EuphonyRow 118 - Cell 2
DNFBueken Joeri (GBr) Landbouwkrediet - EuphonyRow 119 - Cell 2
DNFKévin Denis (Arg) Veranda Rideau - Super URow 120 - Cell 2
DNFKevin Peeters (Chi) Landbouwkrediet - EuphonyRow 121 - Cell 2
DNFIan Wilkinson (Mda) Endura RacingRow 122 - Cell 2
DNFAlexandre Blain (Spa) Endura RacingRow 123 - Cell 2
DNFYannick Martinez (Lat) La Pomme-MarseilleRow 124 - Cell 2
DNFEvaldas Siskevicius (Lat) La Pomme-MarseilleRow 125 - Cell 2
DNFThomas Vaubourzeix (Lat) La Pomme-MarseilleRow 126 - Cell 2
DNFKristofers Racenajs (Lat) Alpha Baltic - Unitymarathons.comRow 127 - Cell 2

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Latest on Cyclingnews