Description
September 5, 2026
Tout commence en Finistère Ladies Classic 2026 🇫🇷 (1.1) WE – Pouldreuzic – Plouhinec : 94,1 km
Finistère Ladies Classic is a UCI 1.1 one-day women’s road race through the rolling coastal roads of western Brittany,
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September 5, 2026
Tout commence en Finistère Ladies Classic 2026 🇫🇷 (1.1) WE – Pouldreuzic – Plouhinec : 94,1 km
Finistère Ladies Classic is a UCI 1.1 one-day women’s road race through the rolling coastal roads of western Brittany, covering approximately 94 km with around 1,200 metres of elevation gain. The route combines narrow rural lanes, exposed sections and repeated short climbs, with gradients generally in the 5–10% range and sharper ramps adding brief changes of intensity. Five intermediate sprint points contribute to a fast, aggressive rhythm, while technical junctions and frequent changes in road width make positioning important. Wind from the Atlantic can add an environmental challenge, particularly on exposed roads, while damp conditions can reduce grip on corners and descents. The race is likely to feature an animated opening as riders fight for position and small groups attempt to move clear. The peloton can stretch on successive climbs before regrouping on faster sections. With the finish reached after a final circuit in Plouhinec, the decisive moves can come from a reduced group, a late attack or a sprint among the strongest riders.
Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike) surged from a six-rider breakaway to edge Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) in a photo–finish victory at the Finistère Ladies Classic.
Eva Van Agt (FDJ United-SUEZ) grabbed the final spot on the podium ahead of Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L’IMAD) and Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne-Mobana-Mypie), while Amber Kraak (Visma-Lease a Bike) was two seconds back for sixth.
With 40km to go, Van Agt, Van Dam and Squiban were the first movers for a decisive break and soon joined by Williams and Lylyk.
Originally a group of five which Kraak joined in the closing kilometres, the final sprint was instigated by Williams on the far left side of the finish straight. Lylyk tried to move past on the right side, but Van Dam blasted through the middle and was the only rider to hold off Williams.
“This victory means a lot to me. I’ve come close to winning my first race several times, and today everything fell into place,” Van Dam said in a team statement about her first pro victory.
“Last week, I made a mistake in the sprint at the Kreiz Breizh Elites Féminin and finished third. I’ve learned from all those close finishes, and today I was finally rewarded with a victory.”
The Saturday UCI 1.1 opener for a weekend of races on the Cap Sizun peninsula in France, Finistère Ladies Classic began in Pouldreuzic. The northbound course along the Brittany coastline crossed the finish line in Plouhinic just 18km into the start, which then presented eight laps of a hilly 9.5km circuit.
Each clockwise lap included an uncategorised 1.5km climb of 4.1% average gradient, leaving 3.5km the finish line, with the final approach uphill as well. Six times on the circuit provided intermediate sprint points in Plouhinec.
Rosita Reijnhout (Visma-Lease a Bike), Solene Muller (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) and Ema Comte (Cofidis) pulled away from the peloton on the opening laps. Once they were pulled back, another attack proved more successful by five other riders.
Once at the mid-point of the finish laps, Eva Van Agt (FDJ United-SUEZ), Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L’IMAD), Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne-Bonbana-MyPie) had a 30-second gap .
Once through the start-finish with three laps to go, a solo chase by Nikola Noskova (Cofidis) had her 30 seconds away from the breakaway group. The peloton trailed another 42 seconds back, with EF Education-Oatly taking over with the pacemaking.
The quintet stamped out a steady tempo and never saw Noskova get closer, as with two laps to go the peloton closed down her effort. The peloton hovered at a minute in arrears over the next 15km, no attacks launched from the group.
The breakaway group surged across the uphill road into Plouhinec for a ninth time all together, and in the closing kilometres Kraak joined the group after a long chase. The six riders would sprint for the victory, with the photo-finish going to Canadian Van Dam by the slightest of margins.
Results :
 WE </strong> - Pouldreuzic - Plouhinec : 94,1 km
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Finistère Ladies Classic is a UCI 1.1 one-day women’s road race through the rolling coastal roads of western Brittany, covering approximately 94 km with around 1,200 metres of elevation gain. The route combines narrow rural lanes, exposed sections and repeated short climbs, with gradients generally in the 5–10% range and sharper ramps adding brief changes of intensity. Five intermediate sprint points contribute to a fast, aggressive rhythm, while technical junctions and frequent changes in road width make positioning important. Wind from the Atlantic can add an environmental challenge, particularly on exposed roads, while damp conditions can reduce grip on corners and descents. The race is likely to feature an animated opening as riders fight for position and small groups attempt to move clear. The peloton can stretch on successive climbs before regrouping on faster sections. With the finish reached after a final circuit in Plouhinec, the decisive moves can come from a reduced group, a late attack or a sprint among the strongest riders.
Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike) surged from a six-rider breakaway to edge Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) in a photo–finish victory at the Finistère Ladies Classic.
Eva Van Agt (FDJ United-SUEZ) grabbed the final spot on the podium ahead of Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD) and Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne-Mobana-Mypie), while Amber Kraak (Visma-Lease a Bike) was two seconds back for sixth.
With 40km to go, Van Agt, Van Dam and Squiban were the first movers for a decisive break and soon joined by Williams and Lylyk.
Originally a group of five which Kraak joined in the closing kilometres, the final sprint was instigated by Williams on the far left side of the finish straight. Lylyk tried to move past on the right side, but Van Dam blasted through the middle and was the only rider to hold off Williams.
"This victory means a lot to me. I’ve come close to winning my first race several times, and today everything fell into place," Van Dam said in a team statement about her first pro victory.
"Last week, I made a mistake in the sprint at the Kreiz Breizh Elites Féminin and finished third. I’ve learned from all those close finishes, and today I was finally rewarded with a victory."
The Saturday UCI 1.1 opener for a weekend of races on the Cap Sizun peninsula in France, Finistère Ladies Classic began in Pouldreuzic. The northbound course along the Brittany coastline crossed the finish line in Plouhinic just 18km into the start, which then presented eight laps of a hilly 9.5km circuit.
Each clockwise lap included an uncategorised 1.5km climb of 4.1% average gradient, leaving 3.5km the finish line, with the final approach uphill as well. Six times on the circuit provided intermediate sprint points in Plouhinec.
Rosita Reijnhout (Visma-Lease a Bike), Solene Muller (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) and Ema Comte (Cofidis) pulled away from the peloton on the opening laps. Once they were pulled back, another attack proved more successful by five other riders.
Once at the mid-point of the finish laps, Eva Van Agt (FDJ United-SUEZ), Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD), Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne-Bonbana-MyPie) had a 30-second gap .
Once through the start-finish with three laps to go, a solo chase by Nikola Noskova (Cofidis) had her 30 seconds away from the breakaway group. The peloton trailed another 42 seconds back, with EF Education-Oatly taking over with the pacemaking.
The quintet stamped out a steady tempo and never saw Noskova get closer, as with two laps to go the peloton closed down her effort. The peloton hovered at a minute in arrears over the next 15km, no attacks launched from the group.
The breakaway group surged across the uphill road into Plouhinec for a ninth time all together, and in the closing kilometres Kraak joined the group after a long chase. The six riders would sprint for the victory, with the photo-finish going to Canadian Van Dam by the slightest of margins.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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