Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France 2024: Hirschi takes the next classic victory

After winning the Clasica San Sebastian, Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) has claimed his next victory in a classics race. Thanks to a bold attack shortly before the finish, the Swiss rider secured victory in the Bretagne Classic - Ouest France 2024 ahead of Paul Magnier (Soudal - Quick Step) and Magnus Cort Nielsen (Uno-X Mobility), who finished second and third.

Hirschi with perfect timing

While numerous riders tried to break away from the peloton during the Bretagne Classic - Ouest France 2024 by stepping up the pace, Marc Hirschi waited for the right moment to launch his attack. When a group of around ten riders was able to break away from the rest of the peloton, Hirschi attacked on a hill. As the riders behind him were not sure who would close the gap to Hirschi, the gap grew slightly. The Swiss rider then fought courageously for his lead and was able to defend it by the skin of his teeth in the end. On the finishing straight, the peloton came dangerously close to the breakaway once again, but in the end Hirschi saved a one-second lead over the finish line and celebrated.

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Bretagne Classic - Ouest France 2024 - Results: the top 10

1. Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) 6:09:35
2. Paul Magnier (Soudal - Quick Step) +0:01
3. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Uno-X Mobility) +0:01
4. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) +0:01
5. Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) +0:01
6. Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +0:01
7. Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:01
8. Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ) +0:01
9. Clement Venturini (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +0:01
10. Hugo Page (Intermarche-Wanty) +0:01

How the Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France 2024 went

Shortly after the start of the race in Plouay, two riders broke away: Christopher Juul-Jensen (Team Jayco-AlUla) and Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Deceuninck) formed the leading group from then on. The peloton quickly let the two riders go. Around 215 kilometres before the finish, the breakaway duo had a lead of over eleven minutes.

Dillier and Juul-Jensen are caught up early on

In the peloton, Lotto-Dstny and Lidl-Trek, among others, then picked up the pace a little, so that the lead slowly but surely dwindled. 85 kilometres before the finish, the lead fell below the three-minute mark for the first time. UAE Team Emirates in particular picked up the pace from then on, so that the peloton swallowed up the duo with 59 kilometres to go.

The next attack immediately came from the peloton. Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) was let go by the peloton. Mads Würzt Schmidt (Israel-Premier Tech) attacked 47 kilometres before the finish and caught up with Abrahamsen a little later. The duo only lasted a short time, three kilometres before the finish they were caught by the peloton.

Unsuccessful tempo increases

As a result, the Bretagne Classic was very bumpy. There were repeated attacks that were parried by the peloton. Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Louis Barre (Arkea-B&B Hotels) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal - Quick Step), among others, tried their luck without success. Even when some of the favourites were able to break away 30 kilometres before the finish, the gap was quickly closed by the peloton.

With 27 kilometres to go, it was Romain Gregoire who took heart and managed to break away from the rest of the peloton. He was granted a lead of around 20 seconds in the meantime, but the Frenchman was caught again 15 kilometres before the finish.

The decisive attack

When many riders were expecting a bunch sprint, around ten riders around Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal - Quick Step) and Marc Hirschi broke away four kilometres before the finish. The Swiss rider went on the attack, broke away and won the Breton classic by the skin of his teeth ahead of the onrushing peloton.