Tro-Bro Léon: Filippo Fiorelli solos clear 3km from finish to win part-gravel Classic

Eventually, it was Fiorelli’s attack which made the difference. He launched his move heading into the last of the 29 ribin gravel sectors on the route, going clear of the group of 11 riders which led the race at that point.

Nobody in the move, which included Fred Wright (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), had an answer to his attack, and so he soloed home to victory.

Behind him, Breton racer Alexis Renard (Cofidis) won the sprint for second place – and the prize of a piglet statuette for best home rider – ahead of Lewis Askey (NSN), who rounded out the podium in third.

Attacks flew, and breaks formed and reformed over the 202.1km race with a succession of 29 ribinoù, the unpaved farm tracks of varying degrees of maintenance, which can include double-track, well-groomed gravel, climbs, and descents.

After 30 kilometres, Valentin Ferron (Cofidis), Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Nil Gimeno (Kern Pharma), Sergio Romeo (Kern Pharma) and Daniel Cavia (Burgo Burpellet BH) managed to escape and built a gap of 2:45, but the final rider was reeled back in 100 kilometres later.

A counterattack from Alexys Brunel (TotalEnergies), soon joined by Jenthe Biermans (Cofidis), was the next move to get a small gap. But the duo was caught at the entrance to the Keradraon ribin.

Visma and Decathlon then pushed the pace at the front, forcing splits, until five riders were able to escape with 28 kilometres to go. Joining Askey, Wright and Cosnefroy, at the front were Hagenes and Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM). The quintet worked well together, but a massive headwind slowed their progress as Uno-X Mobility and Groupama-FDJ United led the chase. 

Fiorelli and Pierre Gautherat (Decathlon CMA CGM) were among a handful of riders who bridged the 10-second gap inside of eight kilometres, before Fiorelli broke away solo, barely holding on to his lead all the way to the uphill finish as the chasers bore down hard behind him.