Search our site:

Sign up for our Email Newsletter

2024 Tro-Bro Léon (1.Pro), France

40th edition: Sunday, May 5, 2024

Tro-Bro Léon podium history | 2023 edition | Map | Start list

Le Carpont Plouguin - Lannilis: 203.6 km

Lannilis is a town in the Finistère department of Brittany.

Arnaud De Lie - "The Bull From Lescheret" wins.

Les Woodland's book Cycling’s 50 Craziest Stories is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the finish city of Lannilis at 2:00 PM, local time: 16C (61F), cloudy/windy, with the wind from the south-southwest at 32 km/hr (20 mph). There is an 11% chance of rain.

The race: Here's the report from the race organizer.

The 40th edition of the Tro Bro Leon was animated for a long time by a seven-man breakaway, which, as in the last two years, included the amazing Morné Van Niekerk (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93).

The race gets underway.

The final rider in the breakaway, the South African, was only caught with 6.5 km to go, just as Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) launched his attack on the legendary ribin de la ferme. Only Pierre Gautherat (Décathlon AG2R La Mondiale) managed to stay with the Belgian before the express return of American Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech), who had dominated the roads of Paris-Tours last October.

The peloton on one of the gravel sectors during the race's second hour.

Even though the three riders were very close to each other, they were caught by six chasers just before the final kilometre. De Lie had it all to do again. But he still had enough energy to dominate the sprint ahead of Clément Venturini (Arkéa B&B Hotels) and Gautherat.

The 22-year-old 'Taureau de Lescheret' thus exacts revenge for his runner-up finish last year when Giacomo Nizzolo jumped him at the line. He has finally won the Tro Bro Leon, a success made all the more pleasing by the fact that he had two punctures, forcing him into two frantic chases late in the race, with the help of his teammates.

And here's the report from winner Arnaud De Lie's Team Lotto Dstny:

Like a cat with multiple lives: that's how it went for Arnaud De Lie during the Tro Bro Leon. The French counterpart of the Strade Bianche, characterized by 29 gravel sectors, initially caused a stroke of bad luck for the Lotto Dstny leader. A flat tire just as the peloton accelerated, forced De Lie to the side for the first time. 30 kilometers from the finish, it happened again. But the Bull of Lescheret remained cool as ice. Strong teamwork from the entire Lotto Dstny team brought him back to the front, and De Lie then squeezed out another attack from his legs. Initially, he was joined by Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech) and Pierre Gautherat (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), and not much later a small group joined the trio.

Ultimately, no one had an answer to Arnaud De Lie's sprint, and so, after his second place yesterday in the Grand Prix du Morbihan, he climbs to the top spot in Brittany today. Clément Venturini (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) finished second, with Gautherat third. "This makes me really happy," a relieved Arnaud De Lie said at the finish line. "What a race. We've had our share of bad luck. Fortunately, I - but also the team - managed to stay calm with each setback. I felt really great, had top legs, so I tried to attack again at the end. It didn't quite work out, so we had to sprint with nine. Even there, I managed to keep my composure and not make the same mistake as last year when I went first."

Traditionally, the fastest Breton in the Tro Bro Leon receives a real piglet as a gift, but this year the organizer had also promised one to De Lie. And so, soon there will be a Breton piglet hopping around on the farm in Lescheret. "I had my sights set on this (laughs). Oh well, I'm mainly happy that my condition is clearly good. I won in Famenne last week, came second yesterday, and now I've won the Tro Bro Leon. After today, I really have to thank my team double for all the hard work."

Complete results:

203.6 kilometers raced at an average speed of 41.356 km/hr

Race map:

2024 Tro Bro Leon Map

Start list with back numbers, May 4, 2024: