Armitstead wins GP de Plouay World Cup

British champion Lizzie Armitstead sealed the overall World Cup victory with a well-fought win in the final round, the GP de Plouay-Bretagne. The Boels-Dolmans rider made a select group that fought out the dramatic finale, and emerged victorious over Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) and world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Rabo-Liv).

With Jolien d'Hoore (Wiggle-Honda) choosing to skip the race to prepare for the world championships, the door was wide open for Armitstead, and the Boels-Dolmans team held it so she could waltz right through.

"I am very happy with this result," Armitstead said. "I was always on the front, but I have to thank the team they did a tremendous job."

Team manager Danny Stam agreed. "It could not have worked out any better. We aimed for the victory in this race with Lizzie, because she is riding very well at the moment. When we would succeed, we would see about the World Cup. It turned out that was the right tactic. The team was very strong today and Megan and Evelyn and the others in the team made it also a team performance today. But Lizzy was the one who could wrap it up."

Evelyn Stevens and US champion Megan Guarnier took turns attacking to whittle down the lead group and wear down their rivals. While moves shot off the front throughout the final 50km, the race reached its crux with 12km to go when Ferrand-Prevot pushed the pace, drawing out seven riders including Armitstead, Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Bigla) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda).

There was a regrouping soon after, but then Guarnier put in a dig. While she didn't get very far, the world champion was forced to help chase, and when Guarnier was caught, her teammate Evelyn Stevens countered.

Stevens drew out first Claudia Lichtenberg (Liv-Plantur) and then Elena Cecchini (Lotto Soudal), the trio opening up a gap of nearly 30 seconds on the chasers.

The punishing final climb brought the breakaway to an end, thanks to an attack by Armitstead, who passed the trio and left them behind after her group had neared the leaders. Armitstead was then caught by four riders including Pasio, Johansson, Van der Breggen and Longo Borghini, but before the sprint a larger group bridged up from behind.

Armitstead had just enough time to catch her breath and relaunch her sprint, holding off Johansson to take the victory and the overall World Cup from Van der Breggen, with the absent D'Hoore in third.

Katarzyna Niewiadoma earne the best young rider's prize, while her team was the top of the teams classification.

Full Results

World Cup final standings