"To win in Plouay with this jersey is extraordinary" - Valentin Madouas wins Bretagne Classic with French colours on his chest

The Bretagne Classic had a stacked startlist yet it proved to be an open race with a few outsiders fighting for victory. From the winning group of four, Groupama - FDJ played their cards well and took a very meaningful win as Valentin Madouas won with the nation's colous.

“I don't really know what to say, I'm really very moved," Madouas said in a post-race interview to Cyclism'Actu. "To win in Plouay with this jersey is extraordinary! It was a dream to win here. What else do you want? I won a WorldTour race, so I have to enjoy this." The Breton classic is one of the most important classics in the country, and an important goal for the French team.

It was then ideal that Valentin Madouas found his best legs on the day. He was able to make it into the winning move, alongside Stefan Küng who spent a lot of time on the attack at the front, including many kilometers alone. "The fact that I won is thanks to him, I could hear the crowd. Wow, it's really a big victory!"

In the final sprint Küng provided a leadout, but a calm one, and at the start of the uphill drag to the line Madouas came from behind with serious speed, and he managed to hold off an explosive Mathieu Burgaudeau to take the biggest win of his career perhaps. "I then came from behind with more speed," he explained, in what proved to be a very successful day for Groupama who also had the Swiss rider finishing fourth.