Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) notched up his first win of the 2024 season, out-sprinting Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) and Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) at the end of the 159.9 stage from Segré-en-Anjou Bleu to Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne.
A five-rider breakaway formed in the first hour Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility), Hugo Aznar (Kern Pharma), Leo Danês(CIC U Nantes Atlantique), Damien Girard (Nice Metropole Côte d’Azur), Romain Cardis (St Michel-Mavic-Auber ‘93)
After Aznar threw in the towel in the final hour, the remainder of the breakaway was brought back with 17 kilometres to go.
More attacks followed by Arkéa-B&B Hotels were intent on bringing the stage down to a sprint. Attacks by Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos BH) and then Sam Watson (Groupama-FDJ) were quickly neutralised.
Ben Healy delivered a powerful lead-out for his EF Education-EasyPost teammate heading into the final kilometre with Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) on the wheel but Dainese came around the outside and denied them both, with Bennett snatching third place with a bike throw.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling
-
Mads Pedersen to undergo surgery after crashing out of first race of 2026 at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Dane's spring campaign at risk after late wreck -
'It was a really hard-fought battle' - Britain's Matt Richardson delivers rare defeat to Dutch sprinter Harrie Lavreysen to win European sprint title
Josie Nelson breaks women's individual pursuit world record en route to gold in Konya -
'High action, crashes, blood, guts - that's what Americans like' - Cade Bickmore and Danny Summerhill join USPro crit champs Bourgoyne, Fetzer at new Cadence Cyclery p/b Waldo Racing team
'Ragtag group of four dudes, black minivan and five bicycles' won big in 2025 and launches '85-foot mega rig' for criterium-only statement across US -
'There were no layoffs' - Campagnolo sets the record straight as it releases a statement on future plans
Campagnolo will launch new products in the next few months
