Mischa Bredewold extended her winning streak at the 2025 Classic Lorient Agglomération, powering to a third consecutive victory in Plouay after an attritional 165.3km race. The Dutch rider surged past Marianne Vos in the final metres of a reduced-bunch sprint, with 23-year-old Eline Jansen claiming her first Women’s WorldTour podium in third place.
Photo Credit: GettyHow the race unfolded
The day began with constant attacking on the rolling roads outside Plouay. After 60km of racing, a sizeable group of 23 riders managed to establish itself at the head of the race. That breakaway contained big names including Blanka Vas and Steffi Haberlin for SD Worx-Protime, Silvia Persico for UAE Team ADQ, Lucinda Brand for Lidl-Trek, Anastasiya Kolesava for Canyon SRAM, Margaux Vigie and Eva van Agt for Visma-Lease a Bike, Nina Buijsman and Coralie Demay for FDJ-Suez, Susanne Andersen for Uno-X Mobility, as well as riders from EF Education-Oatly, AG Insurance-Soudal, Liv AlUla Jayco, Human Powered Health, Laboral Kutxa and VolkerWessels. Their lead reached three minutes, but with so many riders represented, cooperation was poor and the group began to fracture.
By the time the race entered the finishing circuit with 31km remaining, Brand, Josie Nelson and Sabrina Stultiens were the only riders still ahead, holding just over a minute on the peloton. Nelson was quickly dropped, leaving Brand and Stultiens to push on into the final lap. Behind them, a crash disrupted the bunch, with Bredewold among those delayed. She was forced into a determined chase but managed to return before the decisive phase of the race.
On the Côte du Lézot with 28km to go, Femke de Vries surged clear from the peloton, prompting Elisa Longo Borghini, Liane Lippert and Ruth Edwards to respond. De Vries attacked again with 14km to go, this time joined by Franzi Koch and Eleonora Gasparrini. The trio closed in on Brand and Stultiens, eventually forming a lead group of five. Koch’s acceleration on the final ascent of the Côte du Lézot proved too much for Brand and Stultiens, leaving De Vries, Gasparrini and Koch out front.
From the bunch, Lippert attacked strongly, with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot following. They bridged across on the Kerscoulic climb, but hesitation behind allowed the chasers, including Vos and Bredewold, to regain contact. A compact group of around 21 riders swept into the final kilometres together.
With repeated late moves from Juliette Labous, Koch and Lippert failing to stick, the race was set for a sprint. Vos positioned herself well and initially overhauled Bredewold after the SD Worx-Protime rider launched early. But Bredewold responded in the closing metres, surging again to snatch victory on the slightly rising drag to the line.
Photo Credit: GettyThe reaction
For Bredewold, the victory was a highly emotional one. “Today I was riding with my grandma in my head because we got some bad news this week, and I really wanted to get this win for her today,” she said afterwards. Having crashed earlier in the race, she drew strength from her teammates to recompose herself. “I felt really good today, and the girls kept believing in me even though I crashed, and that gave me wings.”
Vos, who last raced in Plouay in 2018 and had previously won in 2012 and 2013, praised her younger compatriot. “Mischa went early, she just kept more speed, more momentum, more power, so I couldn’t keep up. It’s a deserved victory,” she admitted.
For Jansen, third place marked a major step up, delivering her first-ever Women’s WorldTour podium. It also sealed an all-Dutch podium on one of the sport’s longest-running one-day races.
Bredewold’s hat-trick cements her as the rider to beat in Plouay, while her victory over Vos carried added significance after finishing behind her multiple times in sprint duels earlier this season. “She’s such an inspiration, she’s the GOAT, she’s such a legend,” Bredewold reflected. “Of course I was very motivated to beat her one time. I cannot believe that it happened, I’m super happy.”
Photo Credit: Cor Vos2025 Classic Lorient Agglomération result
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Main photo credit: Cor Vos
