Published on : 04/08/2026
The Danish rider put in a brilliant performance in the sprint on Wednesday in Les Sables-d’Olonne. In a tense finish, she managed to pull away and win convincingly. This marks the 15th victory of her career and the women’s team’s first win of the season. We can’t wait to see what happens next!
Since the start of the season, she had already demonstrated her talent in the sprints and her potential to win. Amalie Dideriksen, the team’s trump card in the sprints, had already been in contention at the UAE Tour (6th and 3rd in stages 2 and 3), then in Belgium (7th in the Omloop van het Hageland) and again on the roads of Milan-San Remo (15th). Four days ago, in the Netherlands at the NXT Classic, she had once again come so close to raising her arms in victory (3rd). So this Wednesday, the Dane was not about to let another chance slip by.
The team was determined to shine at the Région Pays de la Loire Tour, a 129.2 km one-day race. The Cofidis squad set about controlling the breakaway throughout the race. In a tense finale, Amalie managed to take the lead, skimming past the barriers, avoiding a crash and holding off the return of the other sprinters. At the finish line, Amalie had every reason to smile. By securing the 15th victory of her career, she helped the Cofidis women’s team claim their first win of the season. This should provide a boost of motivation for the upcoming races of the season!
The reaction
Amalie Dideriksen:
“It was my first time racing here; the conditions were ideal and we were ready to give it our all. During the race, we focused mainly on controlling the breakaway to make sure it came down to a sprint. The team did a brilliant job throughout the race. After that, it all happened very quickly and I gave it my all in the final. And I’m delighted it went so well!”
Gaëtan Lemoine, sport director : "This victory feels great; it confirms our strong start to the season. Our goal and intention today was to make it to the sprint with Amalie Dideriksen. We did just that. We let three riders go ahead and controlled the situation, only closing the gap in the final kilometer. Nadia Quagliatto and Victorie Guilmain did a great job bringing the peloton back.
Behind, our lead-out train with Malwina Mul, Marion Borras, and Kristýna Burlová came into play. Kristýna crashed a mile and a half from the finish, but the girls showed great adaptability. They adjusted well to the plan we’d set up so we’d still have enough riders in the final kilometer to take Amalie to the finish.
Amalie also showed her cunning and experience by handling the final turn well, putting herself in a position to win. It’s a great feeling of satisfaction today. I hope this victory will lead to more."