The second edition of the Région Pays de la Loire Tour Féminin delivered a commanding display from VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team, who took first, second and fourth on the day after a race defined by late attacks and a solo move that stuck.
Over a 115km course starting in Cugand-La Bernardière and finishing in Beaupréau-en-Mauges, the peloton remained largely intact through the early phases. Several teams attempted to force splits, but it wasn’t until the final section of rolling roads in the Maine-et-Loire region that the decisive move went clear.
Anneke Dijkstra attacked in the closing kilometres and quickly opened up a gap. The chasing bunch hesitated, and with no coordinated pursuit, the 27-year-old Dutch rider was able to maintain her advantage all the way to the line. Dijkstra’s move proved perfectly timed and uncontested, delivering her first UCI victory and VolkerWessels’ second win of the season.
Behind her, the bunch sprinted for the remaining podium spots. Anne Knijnenburg led the group home to secure second place and complete the 1-2 for VolkerWessels, while teammate Laura Molenaar came in fourth, narrowly missing out on making it a clean sweep. Only Karolina Perekitko of Winspace Orange Seal was able to break up the Dutch team’s dominance, finishing third in the final sprint.
The team’s success wasn’t limited to the GC, either. Anne van Rooijen won the points classification, while Marieke Meert claimed the mountain jersey in what was a full-team show of strength.
Photo Credit: Pays de la Loire TourReactions after the race
Anneke Dijkstra, who had already shown attacking intent throughout the spring in races like Dwars door Vlaanderen, Le Samyn and Sanremo Women, was thrilled with her solo win and praised the team’s effort throughout the day.
“It’s really special to get this win,” said Dijkstra. “The team has been riding so well together lately and today we had numbers late in the race, so I decided to go for it when the moment felt right. I didn’t look back and just pushed all the way. It means a lot to get my first UCI win this way.”
Winspace Orange Seal’s Karolina Perekitko prevented a VolkerWessels podium lockout by grabbing third place, but there was no hiding the fact that the Dutch team had controlled the race.
For Noémie Abgrall, fifth place extended a consistent run of form—her eighth top-five result this season. However, the rider from Brittany was left frustrated with how the sprint played out.
“With 300 metres to go, I still felt really good and fresh, so I was aiming for second or third,” she told DirectVelo. “But I got boxed in.”
Abgrall, now racing for Team Claris Automobile Ladynamips RVC, continues to perform well after returning to the amateur ranks. She was again the top French finisher on the day. Further down the order, two more French riders made the top 15. Titia Ryo of Arkéa-B&B Hotels finished eighth, and Ilona Rouat of Breizh Ladies placed eleventh, rounding out a strong day for regional teams on home roads.
2025 Pays de la Loire Tour Féminin result
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Main photo credit: Pays de la Loire Tour
