Kreiz Breizh Elites

Kreiz Breizh Elites opened today with a challenging 192.5 km stage from Calanhel to Gourin. The course featured more than 2,400 meters of climbing, with short, steep hills and narrow roads across Brittany.

An early breakaway went clear after the start and stayed away until the finish. The peloton kept a steady tempo behind, but the gap was never fully closed.

Matyas Kopecky was active in controlling the race and attacking in the final laps. He finished 10th, just behind the breakaway riders. The focus this week remains on building race rhythm, with attention already turning towards the upcoming Tour of Denmark, which is a key goal for the team.

“The race was very chaotic, and we helped control the breakaway. Unfortunately, the break got a bit too big for us, but it was going to come down to the final laps anyway. I tried to save my legs for the last three laps to open the race up a bit more,” said Matyas.

“With two laps to go, Andrea and I launched an attack. I reached the top of the climb alone and tried to bridge to the breakaway. I was caught by just a few riders, and we worked together to close the gap. We got to about 15 meters behind on the last climb but couldn’t catch them. In the sprint, I was around 4th or 5th, but unfortunately the break managed to stay away.“

Stage 2 of Kreiz Breizh Elites was another hard day in Brittany, with 161.3 km of rolling terrain and non-stop attacks. The race was chaotic from start to finish, but it played into the hands of Matyas Kopecky, who showed his fighting spirit once again.

Matyas was part of the action all day, making it into the breakaway and staying in the front moves as the race exploded in the final laps. He launched a big solo effort in the closing kilometers, catching the leaders just before the finish line and finishing in a strong 3rd place.

After two stages, Matyas now leads the Best Young Rider classification and is sitting high in the overall standings.

Matyas Kopecky said after the stage:
“It was a really chaotic race. The breakaway only went really late, just before the final circuits. Actually, the chaos worked in our favor because there was never a quiet moment or full control of the race. With about 50 km to go, I bridged to the breakaway, and we stayed away until one and a half laps to go. Then the final opened up, and two guys got away. I stayed in the group, and on the last two climbs, I went full gas to try and catch them. In the end, I caught them with about 400 meters to go, but by then, I had nothing left for the sprint. Still, I had really good legs today, so I’m pretty happy with how it went.”

With one more stage to go, the team is motivated to finish the race on a high note as preparations continue for the Tour of Denmark.

Photo credits: Cassandra Donne

Stage 2 of Kreiz Breizh Elites was another hard day in Brittany, with 161.3 km of rolling terrain and non-stop attacks. The race was chaotic from start to finish, but it played into the hands of Matyas Kopecky, who showed his fighting spirit once again.

Matyas was part of the action all day, making it into the breakaway and staying in the front moves as the race exploded in the final laps. He launched a big solo effort in the closing kilometers, catching the leaders just before the finish line and finishing in a strong 3rd place.

After two stages, Matyas now leads the Best Young Rider classification and is sitting high in the overall standings.

Matyas Kopecky said after the stage:
“It was a really chaotic race. The breakaway only went really late, just before the final circuits. Actually, the chaos worked in our favor because there was never a quiet moment or full control of the race. With about 50 km to go, I bridged to the breakaway, and we stayed away until one and a half laps to go. Then the final opened up, and two guys got away. I stayed in the group, and on the last two climbs, I went full gas to try and catch them. In the end, I caught them with about 400 meters to go, but by then, I had nothing left for the sprint. Still, I had really good legs today, so I’m pretty happy with how it went.”

With one more stage to go, the team is motivated to finish the race on a high note as preparations continue for the Tour of Denmark.

Photo credits: Cassandra Donne

The final stage of Kreiz Breizh Elites covered 181.8 km from Grâces to Rostrenen, ending with a tough uphill finish. Filippo Ridolfo was active in the breakaway during the stage, while Matyas Kopecky stayed in the chasing group as the race came back together towards the end.

Matyas finished the stage in 7th place, which secured him 3rd overall in the General Classification and the win in the Best Young Rider classification.

It was a strong weekend for the team, showing aggressive racing and consistency throughout all three stages. The team now turns its focus to the Tour of Denmark, with confidence after this successful block in Brittany.

“Today, I was really on my knees”, said Matyas. “I didn’t have the best legs and also made a few mistakes. In the end, it was just about surviving the attacks, and Filippo helped me a lot with that. It was a really hard day, and I’m a bit sad I couldn’t fight for the GC win. But with the legs I had, I did the best I could.“

Photo credits: Cassandra Donne