While much of the road cycling world has been focused on the Amstel Gold Race in recent days, that Dutch one-dayer wasn’t the only race of note over the Easter long weekend. With its modest UCI 1.1 ranking, Tro-Bro Leon is small fry compared with Amstel and the other Ardennes Classics, but what it lacks in stature it more than makes up for with character.
Raced in the Brittany region of north-west France, Tro-Bro Leon features a charming combination of coastline and countryside and is defined by many kilometres of narrow, gravel farm roads. Monday’s 36th edition covered a total of 205km and featured no fewer than 27 gravel sectors. It was won in a reduced bunch sprint by Andrea Vendrame (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), the very first Italian to win the race. Follow the link for full results from the 2019 Tro-Bro Leon.
Photographer extraordinaire Kristof Ramon was at the race and captured the wonderful images you see below.
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- 2017 winner Damien Gaudin had some support on the startline.
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- Stijn Vandenbergh was one of the biggest-name riders on the startlist. Also one of the biggest riders full stop.
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- Flat tyres are common on the gravel roads of Brittany.
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- So too are crashes.
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- Kim Magnusson (Riwal Readynez) was in the breakaway group when he had a puncture.
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- The route takes the riders along the Celtic Sea.
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- Loic Chetout (Cofidis) on the attack.
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- Matthias Brandle (Israel Cycling Academy) was on the move as well.
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- It’s lonely out the back.
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- Damien Gaudin wasn’t able to replicate his win from two years earlier. He finished more than three minutes down.
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- Andrea Vendrame wins the sprint ahead of Baptiste Planckaert (Wallonie-Bruxelles) and Emil Vinjebo (Riwal Readynez).
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- It’s the 24-year-old’s second victory for the year (and the second of his career), after a stage win at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe earlier this month.
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