Elisa Balsamo beats Mischa Bredewold and conquers the Classic Lorient Agglomération

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) won the 2026 Classic Lorient Agglomération, prevailing in a sprint at the end of a hard-fought race that concluded on the Plouay circuit. The Italian covered the 04:30:49 of racing, overtaking Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx-Protime) in the final meters and delivering a prestigious victory to her team in one of the most anticipated classics on the women's calendar.The raceThe race was animated by an early breakaway, which was reeled back in by the peloton on the final circuit around Plouay. In the last two laps, numerous attacks followed one another, with the pace becoming intense on the decisive climbs. At 12.5 km from the finish, Maëva Squiban (UAE Team L'Imad) attacked, tackling the Côte de Ty Marrec with a 15-second lead over the peloton, only to be caught on the climb when Célia Gery (FDJ United-Suez) and Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team L'Imad) accelerated.The attempt by the two attackers did not last long: caught at 3.6 km from the line, the race headed toward a bunch sprint. Bredewold tried to anticipate by taking advantage of the descent toward the final straight, launching a long sprint, but Balsamo slotted into her wheel, drew alongside her in the final 100 meters and passed her on the line."I have to say a huge, huge thank you to my team. They did an incredible job. When I saw that I could survive the last climb, we put everything into the sprint. I'm super happy," said Balsamo.Final standings1. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) — 04:30:492. Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx-Protime) — s.t.3. Franziska Koch (FDJ United-Suez) — s.t.4. Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team L'Imad) — s.t.5. Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM) — s.t.With this success, Balsamo confirms her current form in a classic that rewards speed and endurance, overcoming a Bredewold who had already won the event on three occasions. The podium is completed by Franziska Koch, while Gasparrini and Soraya Paladin round out the top five.