Ladies Sandrine Tas goes one better and also wins final stage of the Bretagne Ladies Tour

"Eat well, rest well, and see what kind of legs I wake up with," Sandrine Tas said on the eve of the final stage of the Bretagne Ladies Tour. And those legs were clearly in excellent shape, because after winning the opening stage on Friday, Tas also claimed victory in the third and final stage.

The race from Cossé-le-Vivien to Laval once again ended in a sprint from a reduced bunch, with Tas proving the strongest. "It was only when I managed to move into a good position just before the final corner that I realised another victory was possible," says a delighted Tas. "When I launched my sprint, I could feel there was still plenty of power left in my legs. Then it was simply a matter of holding on all the way to the finish line."

"As a team, we had planned to first make sure Annelies' (Nijssen, ed.) mountains jersey was secure," Tas explains when reflecting on the final stage. "Then the goal was to pick up bonus seconds at the first intermediate sprint to defend my second place in the overall standings. After that, my focus was mainly on positioning myself well and keeping an eye on my rivals in the general classification. The race started at a very high pace, with lots of attacks and movement. The middle section was a bit calmer, before things became really intense again on the local circuit. Once we reached the local laps, it became truly hectic because everyone wanted to be at the front on that short loop. It was a tough course as well, but I kept fighting and trying."

With success, as Tas claimed her second victory just three months after competing at the Winter Olympics and after swapping speed skating for cycling. "I've had a fantastic weekend with the team. And it's absolutely crazy that I managed to win twice."

To top things off for the team, Annelies Nijssen secured victory in the mountains classification in Brittany.

Picture: Tour de Bretagne