Spain’s Paula Blasi won the first UCI edition of the 2025 Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic with a late solo attack after a hard-fought day over ten gravel sectors and a selective finishing circuit in Brittany. The 22-year-old from UAE Team ADQ bridged across to and then dropped solo leader Lauren Dickson in the final kilometres to take her second win of the season – her previous win came at the GP della Liberazione PINK.
The 143km route took the peloton across the coastal roads of Finistère, with 88km of off-road racing split across ten ribins (gravel and stony sectors), before six laps of an 8.7km finishing circuit around Plouhinec. The terrain and repeated hits of gravel did the damage early on, quickly whittling down the field to around 60 riders.
Among those who stayed in contention early were Clémence Latimier and Amandine Fouquenet for Arkea-B&B Hotels, though both were later hampered by mechanical problems. Fouquenet’s came on the final circuit, while van’t Geloof’s chances were ended earlier in the day.
The decisive moment came with around 40km to go, when a five-rider group went clear: Blasi, Dickson, Anneke Dijkstra, Sarah Van Dam, and Célia Gery. The group worked well to extend their lead as the chasing peloton was left behind.
On the penultimate lap, Dickson attacked solo and opened up a gap over the rest of the leaders. It looked like the Briton might hold on, but Blasi had timed her effort well. As the final lap began, she launched a counter-attack from the chasing trio, closed the gap, and rode straight past Dickson to go solo to the finish.
Behind her, Dijkstra edged out Gery and Van Dam to complete the podium, while the peloton sprinted in nearly three minutes behind the front group.
“It was a crazy race” – Blasi explains her win
Blasi, speaking to Le Télégramme, revealed her day was far from smooth despite the victory.
“It was a crazy race,” she said. “Early on I had to change bikes because I collided with another rider. Then 50km later I punctured and had to change again. At that point I really thought it wasn’t my day.”
She hadn’t even expected to be racing in Brittany. “I wasn’t supposed to do this race,” she explained. “But there were some injuries in the team, and because I did well at The Traka 200, they told me I was made for this course,” she laughed.
Tactically, she knew waiting wasn’t an option. “At three kilometres to go, I knew I wasn’t the fastest in the sprint, so I tried my chance. I managed to surprise them and it worked.”
Fourth place for France’s next big hope
At just 19, Célia Gery delivered her best result yet on the road, finishing fourth. The FDJ-Suez rider, who already holds European and World titles in cyclocross, was in the decisive move and showed her class on terrain that resembled her preferred discipline.
“It wasn’t far off a cyclocross race,” she told Ouest-France, describing the gravel sectors. “There wasn’t much missing today, but I paid for the efforts I made at the start of the race. It was also my first time doing such a long race (143km), so I’m still really pleased.”
Her teammate Jade Wiel sees a clear future for the rider from Ardèche: “We’ve bet on the right horse. She still has a lot to learn, but she learns very quickly.”
Solid debut in new colours for Latimier
For Arkea-B&B Hotels, Clémence Latimier made her debut in the Excalibur jersey and finished in the group contesting sixth place. It was a positive showing on a demanding course, despite the setbacks her team faced.
“There was no downtime,” Latimier said post-race. “The selection happened from the back, especially on the final circuit where the decisive break went. After Amandine’s problem I was in a counter group of about thirty. I tried to follow the attacks but realised it would come down to a sprint for sixth. I lacked a bit of strength to contest that, but I’m happy with how I felt.”
Dijkstra delivers again
Anneke Dijkstra continued her strong run of form with third place for VolkerWessels. The Dutch rider already won the Région Pays de la Loire Tour earlier this season and proved she could match the best on mixed terrain.
Blasi’s win adds to her earlier success at the Gran Premio della Liberazione Donne in April and confirms her as one to watch on punchy, technical courses. The gravel and ribins may have been unfamiliar territory for many, but for Blasi it was an ideal proving ground.
Photo Credit: Arkea-B&B Hotels2025 Point du Raz Ladies Classic result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Nicolas Créach
