Vuelta CV Feminas: Cédrine Kerbaol takes solo win after surviving from the break

Cédrine Kerbaol (CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team) took her first win of the season at the Vuelta CV Feminas after surviving a crash in the breakaway and holding off the main field.

The French all-rounder was the last rider from the early break, and the only one not caught in a late crash that held up her final two escape companions. The bunch had its share of incidents too with several crashes taking place in the final 10km, disrupting the chase.

French national time trial champion Kerbaol had more than enough gas in the tank to hold off the chase, with Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health) and Federica Damiana Piergiovanni (UAE Development Team) completing the podium.

Heading into the final 30km of racing only three riders remained clear from the early break with Kerbaol joined by Julie Bego (Cofidis), Caroline Andersson (Liv AlUla Jayco).

The trio maintained a slender 28-second gap as Movistar set the pace at the front of the peloton and it looked as though a reduced bunch sprint would decide the race as the margin between the groups began to close.

However, due to technical terrain and limited recourses controlling the chase, the three leaders always had a fighting chance. With 16km to go their advantage remained at 16 seconds.

© Sprint Cycling Agency

Cédrine Kerbaol (CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team)

With 10km to go it looked as though the bunch would come out on top when Andersson crashed on a left-hand corner and held up Bego as a result. That left just Kerbaol clear but the French rider was able to bolster her advantage, pulling out a handful of seconds as the remnants of the main field struggled to find their rhythm.

It didn't help that the several riders in the chase hit the deck inside the final few kilometres, but even with three Movistar riders taking the front inside the final 4km, Kerbaol was able to hold her lead.

Three crashes in the final 2km effectively ended the bunch's chances of reeling in the lone leader and it was left to Raaijmakers and Piergiovanni to clip off the front and complete the podium.

"At the beginning of the race, the goal was to have a nice placement before the second big climb. We have some riders in the team who did a big job and we were all in front but in my head, I needed to set the tempo on the climb and not look back. Then after 3km I looked back and there were only four or five girls on my wheel, and then only two," Kerbaol said at the finish.

"The two girls in the break did a good job, and we had the same goal. Then there was a crash, and from there the goal was to just do a time trial to the finish. This proves I'm in shape, and it's a team victory."

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