Mavi García uncorks flurry of attacks to conquer Classic Lorient Agglomeration

Spanish champ made series of attacks in finishing climbs to split the bunch and beat Amber Kraak in two-up sprint.

Photo: Bruno Bade/Getty Images

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Mavi García (UAE ADQ) wasn’t letting the Classic Lorient Agglomeration-Ceratizit Trophy finish in a bunch sprint Saturday.

The Spanish champ uncorked a series of attacks through the final of the hilly WorldTour race to draw out Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma) and blast past her rival in a final two-rider gallop.

“It’s my first victory in a WorldTour classic, I am very happy,” García said.

Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez Futuroscope) finished third out of a small bunch of chasers that were distanced in the final kilometers after García launched yet another searing acceleration in a bid to foil the fastest finishers.

García flourished this season despite her reaching “veteran” status.

The 38-year-old doubled the Spanish road and TT titles, finished third in the Giro Donne and slotted into 10th at the Tour de France Femmes after bouncing back from a disaster day on the gravel-strewn fourth stage.

Victory on Saturday sees the Spaniard score the biggest result of an ever increasing palmarès in one of her final races before she joins Liv-Xstra in 2023.

“I attacked on the last two climbs because I was the best climber in the group but could not get away,” she explained.

“I thought we would arrive for a sprint, but nothing is lost by trying, so I attacked again. And finally, with one kilometer to go, we got away with Kraak. I am not a sprinter, but neither was she, and I won.”

The Classic Lorient Agglomeration – once known as GP Plouay – is one of the toughest in the Women’s WorldTour.

At 160km and 2,200 meters of climbing, the 20th edition of the race was relentless and riddled with attacks and splits.

Sara Martín (Movistar) was reeled in at around 30km to go after playing lone survivor from the day’s early escape.

An all-star 13-rider move blew off the front and hit the final hilly 13km circuit around Plouay with around two minutes over the peloton after what had been an attritional day of racing.

García, Kraak, Brown, Audrey Cordon Ragot (Trek Segafredo), Juliette Labous (DSM), Blanka Vas (SD Worx), Amanda Spratt (BikeExchange), and Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) were among the dozen-plus riders that were poised to play for victory as the race roared toward the final.

García squeezed the pressure and split the group in two at 10km to go, but the leading six never gained enough ground to go clear.

The Spanish champ kept pushing through the final climbs and again forced small splits, but seemed destined to be derailed as Chabbey and Brown kept active in marking and countering moves.

Cordon Ragot, Spratt, and a handful more were dropped on the final climb before García and Kraak finally forced a winning move at 1500 meters to go.

The seven-rider chase group refused to cooperate and Kraak and García worked together just enough to fend off the faltering bunch behind.

The twosome dangled seconds ahead of the chasers in the wide finishing straight and Kraak was forced to lead out the sprint. García sat poised on the wheel and uncorked her acceleration at 100m to go to score victory over her Dutch rival.

Brown led home the chase group to take third.

Classic Lorient Agglomération - Trophée Ceratizit Results

Stage
RankNameTeamTime
1GARCÍA MaviUAE Team ADQ4:02:16
2KRAAK AmberTeam Jumbo-Visma0:00
3BROWN GraceFDJ - SUEZ - Futuroscope0:05
4SANGUINETI IlariaValcar - Travel & Service0:05
5VERHULST GladysLe Col - Wahoo0:05
6CHABBEY EliseCanyon//SRAM Racing0:05
7DRONOVA-BALABOLINA TamaraRoland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad0:05
8VAS BlankaTeam SD Worx0:05
9LABOUS JulietteTeam DSM0:08
10CORDON-RAGOT AudreyTrek - Segafredo0:11
11SPRATT AmandaTeam BikeExchange - Jayco0:11
12ASENCIO LauraCeratizit-WNT Pro Cycling0:11
13GUTIÉRREZ SheylaMovistar Team0:43
14NEYLAN RachelCofidis Women Team2:24
15BALSAMO ElisaTrek - Segafredo3:17
16CONFALONIERI Maria GiuliaCeratizit-WNT Pro Cycling3:17
17LE NET MarieFDJ - SUEZ - Futuroscope3:17
18CROMWELL TiffanyCanyon//SRAM Racing3:17
19KOSTER AnouskaTeam Jumbo-Visma3:17
20GERRITSE FemkeParkhotel Valkenburg3:17
21PERSICO SilviaValcar - Travel & Service3:17
22WILLIAMS LilyHuman Powered Health3:17
23BOILARD SimoneSt Michel - Auber93 WE3:17
24GASPARRINI Eleonora CamillaValcar - Travel & Service3:17
25STEPHENS LaurenEF Education-TIBCO-SVB3:17
26MACKAIJ FloortjeTeam DSM3:17
27TOMASI LauraUAE Team ADQ3:17
28BUIJSMAN NinaHuman Powered Health3:17
29VANDENBULCKE JesseLe Col - Wahoo3:17
30CECCHINI ElenaTeam SD Worx3:17
31NORSGAARD EmmaMovistar Team3:17
32YONAMINE EriHuman Powered Health3:17
33PERKINS FloraLe Col - Wahoo3:17
34CHRISTOFOROU AntriHuman Powered Health3:17
35FAULKNER KristenTeam BikeExchange - Jayco3:17
36BUJAK EugeniaUAE Team ADQ3:17
37VAN AGT EvaLe Col - Wahoo3:17
38DE JONG ThalitaLiv Racing Xstra3:17
39WILLIAMS GeorgiaTeam BikeExchange - Jayco3:17
40JASKULSKA MartaLiv Racing Xstra3:17
41ADEGEEST LoesIBCT3:17
42TOWERS AliceLe Col - Wahoo3:17
43VAN ANROOIJ ShirinTrek - Segafredo3:17
44DOEBEL-HICKOK KristaEF Education-TIBCO-SVB3:17
45FRANZ HeidiInstaFund Racing3:17
46SCHOENS QuintyParkhotel Valkenburg3:17
47ERIĆ JelenaMovistar Team3:17
48EMOND ClaraEmotional.fr-Tornatech-GSC Blagnac VS313:17
49BIRIUKOVA YuliiaArkéa Pro Cycling Team3:17
50VAN DEN BROEK-BLAAK ChantalTeam SD Worx3:17
51LUDWIG Cecilie UttrupFDJ - SUEZ - Futuroscope3:17
52LÉVÉNEZ SandraCofidis Women Team3:17
53DEMAY CoralieSt Michel - Auber93 WE3:17
54COSTON MorganeArkéa Pro Cycling Team3:17
55SHACKLEY AnnaTeam SD Worx3:17
56ALLIN PaulineArkéa Pro Cycling Team3:17
57NIEWIADOMA KatarzynaCanyon//SRAM Racing3:17
58STULTIENS SabrinaLiv Racing Xstra3:17
59LONGO BORGHINI ElisaTrek - Segafredo3:17
60ARMITAGE MeganIBCT3:17
61MARTÍN SaraMovistar Team3:17
62LIPPERT LianeTeam DSM3:17
63CHAPMAN BrodieFDJ - SUEZ - Futuroscope3:17
64BIDEAU SandrineSt Michel - Auber93 WE3:17
65LACH MartaCeratizit-WNT Pro Cycling3:17
66AMIALIUSIK AlenaCanyon//SRAM Racing3:17
67BARIL OliviaValcar - Travel & Service3:17
68TON QuintyLiv Racing Xstra3:56
69WYLLIE EllaParkhotel Valkenburg3:56
70RIEDMANN LindaTeam Jumbo-Visma3:56
71BARALE FrancescaTeam DSM3:56
72GUILMAN VictorieFDJ - SUEZ - Futuroscope3:56
73LIMPENS PienParkhotel Valkenburg4:25
74GAFINOVITZ RotemRoland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad7:17
75RAGUSA KatiaLiv Racing Xstra7:17
76HARRIS EllaCanyon//SRAM Racing7:17
77WRIGHT SophieUAE Team ADQ7:17
78ALLIONE MarineStade Rochelais Charente-Maritime7:17
79GRÖNDAHL AntoniaIBCT7:17
80HENRY HollyInstaFund Racing7:17
81BRADBURY NeveCanyon//SRAM Racing7:17
82NILSSON HannaCeratizit-WNT Pro Cycling7:17
83SMULDERS SilkeLiv Racing Xstra7:17
84JASTRAB MeganTeam DSM7:17
85TEUTENBERG Lea LinCeratizit-WNT Pro Cycling8:04
86FORTIN ValentineCofidis Women Team8:04

Results provided by ProCyclingStats.

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