Elia Viviani continues winning streak with victory at Bretagne Classic - Ouest France
The Italian added Bretagne Classic victory to his wins at the Cyclassics Hamburg and two stages at Tour de Poitou Charentes in August


Elia Viviani (Team Sky) continued his fruitful August with a fourth victory in the month, taking the spoils at the WorldTour one-day race, the Bretagne Classic - Ouest France.
The Italian out-sprinted Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) to the win in Plouay, in what had been a race full of attacks.
No breakaway was able to fully establish itself during the race, with a number of moves being brought back.
Eventually Dries Devenyns (Quick-Step Floors), Sylvain Dillier (BMC), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Sky), Arnaud Gérard (Fortuneo-Oscaro), Paul Martens (LottoNL-Jumbo), Jacopo Mosca (Willier Triestina-Selle Italia), Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) and Petr Vakoc (QuickStep Floors) got away but failed to establish a gap over a minute.
With that group brought back as those teams not present chased them down, only Dillier and Devenyns remained out front.
They held a gap of just under 20 seconds into the final 20 or so kilometres before Devenyns was unable to maintain the pace.
Cyril Gautier (Ag2r), Albert Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac), Nathan Haas (Dimension Data), Hector Carretero (Movistar), Pieter Serry (Quick-Step), Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) and Julien Simon (Cofidis) were able to bridge across and join Dillier, carrying a decent lead into the final 10km.
Despite a number of solo attacks over the final kilometres of the course and the last climb, the sprinters' teams did the job to pull things back together for their fast men.
In the end, no-one was able to match Viviani's turn of speed as he pushed past Kristoff to take victory on the line, continuing to end his final months with Team Sky in style.
Results
Bretagne Classic - Ouest France 2017 (239.7km)
1 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky, in 5-31-29
2 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin
3 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
4 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Cannondale-Drapac
5 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb
6 Rúben Guerreiro (Por) Trek-Segafredo
7 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
8 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
9 Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
10 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team, all same time
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Follow on Twitter: @richwindy
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
-
-
David Millar: Why Mark Cavendish deserves to be at the Tour de France
Cav has bridged generations in a way no one else could, he shows what's possible
By David Millar • Published
-
Young and talented: Meet the seven Americans racing Le Tour
Young and talented: Meet the seven American bike racers ringing Le Tour de France in 2022.
By Marshall Opel • Published
-
'Dismiss Geraint Thomas at your peril' — Bradley Wiggins sees Welshman as Tour de France 'underdog'
Ineos Grenadiers rider will head to Tour off the back of Tour de Suisse win
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Covid threatens to disrupt Tour de France line-up
Virus sweeps through the peloton at key preparation races with Tour de Suisse race leader Vlasov forced to abandon
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Adam Yates out of Tour de Suisse with covid
Brit returns a positive test for coronavirus but the rest of Ineos Grenadiers will race on in Switzerland.
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Can anyone stop the Jumbo juggernaut? Five talking points from the Critérium du Dauphiné
Wout van Aert and Primož Roglič are the best at the French race, but the Tour de France is another level up
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Despite giving up sprinting for signs third place earns Longo Borghini Women’s Tour victory
The Italian champion finished third in the bunch sprint in Oxford earning enough bonus seconds to take the overall
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
'It’s not the way we want to end it' says Lorena Wiebes after her third Women’s Tour stage victory
Despite the victory equalling the Women’s Tour records of Marianne Vos and Join D’hoore th team worked for Charlotte Kool on the final stage into Oxford
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Elisa Longo Borghini wins the Women’s Tour by slender bonus seconds margin
Bonus seconds taken in the final bunch kick took the Italian to a one second overall win
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
£50K of bikes and kit stolen from Trek-Segafredo in second theft in two weeks
American team lose two bikes and other equipment stolen from their team truck parked at a Swansea hotel
By Owen Rogers • Published