Brand secures win at GP de Plouay-Bretagne
Rabo-Liv teammates Vos and Ferrand Prevot round out podium
With Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) having tied up the Road World Cup victory at last week's Crescent Vårgårda, the last round of the series was all about a final attempt at glory, as the peloton faced the tough, hilly course.
The GP Plouay is always a dramatic finish to the World Cup series, with a course that changes regularly, but always includes short, punchy climbs and descents that are perfect for attacks. This year it was 121.5km, four laps of 27km with three climbs each, then a last loop missing out the northern part but keeping the two steepest climbs, including the Côte de Ty-Marrec 4km from the end.
All eyes were on Rabobank-Liv, as Marianne Vos had won here in 2012 and 2013, and been a major factor in her teammate Annemiek van Vleuten's win in 2011 – but the Dutch team blew these expectations out of the water. The question had been who they'd ride for, and they answered this with an all Rabo podium, Lucinda Brand winning solo ahead of Vos and Ferrand-Prévot, Van der Breggen coming fifth.
Brand had been especially active in this race, fighting with and against Tiffany Cromwell (Specialized-lululemon) forcing breaks and splits, so that by the last 35km there were just 20 riders in front. This was whittled down to an elite group of champions, with Rabo always over-represented, four in a group of ten, then, when Brand and Cromwell seemed like they’d been finally dropped in the last 7km, three in a group of seven – Vos, Van der Breggen and Ferrand-Prévot against Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS), Elisa Longo Borghini (Hitec Products), Armitstead, Rossella Ratto (Estado de Mexico-Faren) and World Cup Queen of the Mountains Alena Amialiusik (Astana-BePink).
But Brand and Cromwell would not give up, and when the pair caught that front group one last time, Brand didn't pause to draw breath, but attacked again, this time getting clear, with her lead quickly getting up to 48 seconds.
This was the point the race was lost for the others, as fear of exhausting themselves to help the Rabo's attack later, or just plain exhaustion meant the chase wasn't coordinated. Although Brand suffered and lost time on the final climb, she made it to the finish solo for the biggest win of her career. This has been a spectacular 2014 for the 25-year-old Dutchwoman, supporting her team-mates throughout the year, and in return having team support to win her first stage race, the Energiewacht Tour in April, and now her first World Cup.
Armitstead, Longo Borghini and Johansson all attacked out of the chase to try to catch Brand, or slip away for the podium, but the group came to the finish together, Vos out-sprinting the opposition as only she can, with Ferrand-Prévot on her wheel – the perfect finish to the World Cup for the team that has consistently animated the races.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | 3:08:26 |
2 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | 0:00:56 |
3 | Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
4 | Rossella Ratto (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren | |
5 | Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
6 | Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica - AIS | |
7 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products | |
8 | Elizabeth Armitstead (Gbr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
9 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Astana Bepink Womens Team | |
10 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Specialized - Lululemon | |
11 | Audrey Cordon (Fra) Hitec Products | 0:02:57 |
12 | Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
13 | Megan Guarnier (Usa) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
14 | Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Orica - AIS | |
15 | Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Rsa) Hitec Products | |
16 | Claudia Häusler (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | |
17 | Jessie Daams (Bel) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
18 | Evelyn Stevens (Usa) Specialized - Lululemon | |
19 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
20 | Iris Slappendel (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
21 | Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Alé Cipollini | 0:04:57 |
22 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
23 | Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
24 | Elise Delzenne (Fra) Specialized - Lululemon | |
25 | Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Esp) Lointek | |
26 | Irene San Sebastian Lasa (Esp) Bizkaia - Durango | |
27 | Lauren Hall (Usa) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
28 | Joanne Kiesanowski (Nzl) Tibco / To The Top | |
29 | Elena Valentini (Ita) BTC City Ljubljana | |
30 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
31 | Tayler Wiles (Usa) Specialized - Lululemon | |
32 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) France | |
33 | Lara Vieceli (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Rox | |
34 | Edwige Pitel (Fra) S.C. Michela Fanini Rox | |
35 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
36 | Belen Lopez Morales (Esp) Lointek | |
37 | Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Belgium | |
38 | Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel) Belgium | |
39 | Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Esp) Alé Cipollini | |
40 | Melodie Lesueur (Fra) Lointek | |
41 | Janel Holcomb (Usa) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
42 | Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) RusVelo | |
43 | Lucie Pader (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
44 | Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | |
45 | Yevgeniya Vysotska (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini Rox | |
46 | Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica - AIS | |
47 | Carlee Taylor (Aus) Orica - AIS | |
48 | Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) RusVelo | |
49 | Sara Olsson (Swe) Hitec Products | |
50 | Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team | |
51 | Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Esp) Bizkaia - Durango | |
52 | Ursa Pintar (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | |
53 | Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini Rox | |
54 | Jade Wilcoxson (Usa) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
55 | Uenia Fernandes Da Souza (Bra) Estado de Mexico Faren | |
56 | Andrea Dvorak (Usa) Tibco / To The Top | |
57 | Julie Bresset (Fra) France | |
58 | Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana | |
59 | Amélie Rivat (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
60 | Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Footon | |
61 | Sarah Roy (Aus) Vienne Futuroscope | |
62 | Anna Trevisi (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren | |
63 | Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Team Giant-Shimano | |
64 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren | |
65 | Doris Schweizer (Sui) Astana Bepink Womens Team | |
66 | Elena Berlato (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
67 | Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Specialized - Lululemon | |
68 | Jasmin Glaesser (Can) Tibco / To The Top | |
69 | Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Servetto Footon | |
70 | Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) RusVelo | |
71 | Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren | 0:05:01 |
72 | Fanny Leleu (Fra) France | 0:05:17 |
73 | Brianna Walle (Usa) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
74 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
75 | Anastasiya Chulkova (Rus) RusVelo | 0:05:27 |
76 | Kseniya Tuhai (Blr) Astana Bepink Womens Team | 0:12:08 |
77 | Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Belgium | |
78 | Yulia Blindyuk (Rus) RusVelo | |
79 | Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Esp) Bizkaia - Durango | |
80 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team | |
81 | Špela Kern (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | |
82 | Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Belgium | |
83 | Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Esp) Lointek | |
84 | Patricia Schwager (Sui) Tibco / To The Top | |
85 | Martina Ritter (Aut) BTC City Ljubljana | |
86 | Marijn De Vries (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica - AIS | |
DNF | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica - AIS | |
DNF | Chloe Hosking (Aus) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Eyerusalem Kelil (Eth) S.C. Michela Fanini Rox | |
DNF | Azzurra D'intino (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Rox | |
DNF | Amanda Miller (Usa) Tibco / To The Top | |
DNF | Lauren Stephens (Usa) Tibco / To The Top | |
DNF | Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
DNF | Annie Ewart (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
DNF | Oriane Chaumet (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
DNF | Charlotte Bravard (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
DNF | Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Can) Vienne Futuroscope | |
DNF | Aizhan Zhaparova (Rus) RusVelo | |
DNF | Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Astana Bepink Womens Team | |
DNF | Elisabet Bru (Esp) Servetto Footon | |
DNF | Marina Likhanova (Rus) Servetto Footon | |
DNF | Ana Teresa Casas Bonilla (Mex) Estado de Mexico Faren | |
DNF | Dorleta Eskamendi Gil (Esp) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Clemilda Fernandes Silva (Bra) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Yulia Ilinykh (Rus) Bizkaia - Durango | |
DNF | Mélanie Bravard (Fra) | |
DNF | Anabelle Dreville (Fra) | |
DNF | Séverine Eraud (Fra) | |
DNF | Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Futurumshop.Nl - Zannata | |
DNF | Valerie Demey (Bel) | |
DNF | Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Esp) Lointek | |
DNF | Eider Merino Kortazar (Esp) Lointek | |
DNF | Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano |
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