Grega Bole wins the Grand Prix de Plouay 2011

Added: sunday 28 August 2011 at 19:01:00

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The Grand Prix de Plouay 2011 was won this afternoon by Grega Bole (Lampre-ISD). The breakaway of the day was caught but in a solo attack, the Slovenian champion managed to stay a few meters ahead of the peloton on the finish line where a sprint decided the 2nd place for Simon Gerrans (Team Sky).
The summary of the Grand Prix de Plouay 2011
This morning just after 10.15AM, 187 riders came to the start of the Grand Prix de Plouay 2011.

Just before the first crossing of the finish line, a first leading group was formed after an attack by Anthony Geslin (FDJ), followed by Oscar Pujol (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Romain Sicard (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Renaud Dion (Bretagne-Schuller) and Guillaume Levarlet (Saur-Sojasun).

This leading group was however very quickly caught up with by the peloton led by Jack Bobridge (Team Garmin-Cervélo).

After 26 kilometers the real leading group of the day was formed by 8 riders: Jack Bobridge, Mikaël Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale), Mauro Finetto (Liquigas-Cannondale), Marcello Pavarin (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team), Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Radioshack), Sébastien Duret (Bretagne Schuller), Guillaume Levarlet (Saur-Sojasun) and Cyril Gautier. They quickly create a big gap which is already up to 8'30" just before the 3rd crossing of the finish line. The peloton didn't really get worried about this however and the 8 riders of the leading group thus continued to extend their gap, up to 10'48" at the next crossing of the finish line.

It was only in the 9th round that the peloton really accellerated, especially because of the efforts of the Omega Pharma-Lotto team for Philippe Gilbert and Jelle Vanendert and the gap of the leading group thus went down to values around 7 minutes there. At 40 kilometers from the finish it was down to a bit over 3 minutes and at that time Mauro Finetto and Michal Kwiatkowski, 3rd in the Tour Poitou-Charentes 2011, decided to attack again and thus explode the leading group. The Polish rider of Team Radioshack finally was alone ahead but in the last lap his gap also went down quickly and at 4 kilometers from the finish the race could start all over again.

That's what Grega Bole (Lampre-ISD) did first by attacking at 2 kilometers from the finish line. Several riders tried to follow him but only Thomas Voeckler (Team Europcar) seemed to be capable to get back on the Slovenian champion with his attack in the last kilometer.

He didn't however succeed in this plan and the finish of the race was thus not a real sprint but a solo attack which continued until the finish. Behind him, Simon Gerrans (Team Sky) wins the sprint for the second place, ahead of Thomas Voeckler (Team Europcar), Thor Hushovd (Team Garmin-Cervélo) and Giacomo Nizzolo.
Watch the finish of Grega Bole in the Grand Prix de Plouay 2011 in a video
Hereunder you'll find a short movie of the finish of the Grand Prix de Plouay 2011 and Grega Bole's victory:

Photos of the Grand Prix de Plouay 2011
>> Check out the photos of the Grand Prix de Plouay 2011
by Thomas Vergouwen
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