Lily Williams sprinted to second place at the Tout commence en Finistère Ladies Classic in Brittany, France, after spending 39 kilometers off the front as part of the winning six-rider breakaway.
Having worked well in a strong group, the Olympic gold medalist competed for victory at the end of 94.1 kilometer race from Pouldreuzic to Plouhinec, being edged onto the second step of the podium in a photo-finish-prompting bike throw by winner Sarah Van Dam.
“I’m really happy with today. I’ve been climbing really well since the Tour, so I was happy to feel strong on the climbs again today,” Williams said afterwards. “I really tried to wrap my head around competing for the win. I feel like a lot of times in the past years I’ve surfed the bunch to a good result or honestly just been a bit lucky, but now I feel I have the skills to really compete.”
Williams was active throughout the business stage of the race that took in nine laps of a rolling finishing loop. She was initially set up to follow a move of Elisa Longo-Borghini and French champion Célia Gery by an incredible mid-race lead-out from her team of Marta Jaskulska, Jente Koops, Nina Buijsman, Yurani Blanco and local athlete Titia Ryo.
After the initial move was reeled in, the 32-year-old then chased across a gap alongside Kiara Lylyk with four laps to go to form a strong group which included Van Dam, Eva Van Agt and Maeva Squiban.
“The team did a great job positioning and following attacks in the first half of the race, and I could just relax and save energy for the moment the race opened,” said Williams. “When I was able to ride across to the move, I knew I had good legs.”
The five quickly extended a lead over the peloton, which would hold at 90 seconds. Amber Kraak then made a late bridge to make it six, with Williams’ opponents massing on her wheel.
“I’ve made it clear I want to win a race before the season is over, and it’s really cool to try to enter that headspace and go for it,” she said of the finish. “It was kind of weird to have people watching me in the final and responding to what I was doing because on paper I should be the best sprinter in that group.”
Williams then triggered the sprint to the line, with Van Dam narrowly beating her in a final lunge.
“I thought there would be more attacks in the finale,” she explains. “I opened it a bit too early, but Sarah also did a really nice sprint in the end, and I’ve raced her enough on the track to know she is quick and should not be underestimated.”
The team remains in Brittany for tomorrow’s Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic. Traversing a similar circuit with the same finishing straight, the race is a supercharged version of today, taking in 28 sectors of ribinoù, which are rough, rural dirt farm tracks that crisscross the region.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” exclaimed Williams. “I think it potentially suits me better with a lot of wind and the gravel, and I’ll again look to be in a select group at the finish, and I’m crossing my fingers for good luck, which is needed on a day like tomorrow.”
Tout commence en Finistère Ladies Classic results
1 VAN DAM Sarah – Team Visma | Lease a Bike 2:22:05
2 WILLIAMS Lily – Human Powered Health ”
3 VAN AGT Eva – FDJ United – SUEZ ”
4 SQUIBAN Maeva – UAE Team L’IMAD ”
5 LYLYK Kiara – Mayenne Monbana My Pie ”
6 KRAAK Amber – FDJ United – SUEZ ”
7 WOLLASTON Ally – FDJ United – SUEZ 1:32
8 QUAGLIOTTO Nadia – Cofidis Women Team ”
9 BERTON Nina – EF Education-Oatly ”
10 BERTEAU Victoire – Cofidis Women Team ”
Featured photo: GettySport
