“This victory means a lot to me,” Van Dam said afterward. “I’ve come close to winning my first race several times, and today everything fell into place. Last week, I made a mistake in the sprint at the Kreiz Breizh Elites Féminin and finished third. I’ve learned from all those close finishes, and today I was finally rewarded with a victory.” 

The Finistère Ladies Classic was the first race of this weekend’s French doubleheader. The peloton covered 94 kilometers between Pouldreuzic and Plouhinec. Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women welcomed Kylee Hanel to the lineup. The 20-year-old American gravel specialist will gain experience at the highest level as a stagiaire in the coming races. 

Rosita Reijnhout was part of the first successful breakaway of the race. The 22-year-old Dutch rider and her two breakaway companions were given little room by the peloton. With 40 kilometers to go, the trio was caught. Shortly afterward, a new breakaway formed with Van Dam. The Canadian was joined by Williams, Van Agt, Maeva Squiban and Kiara Lylyk. The five quickly built a lead of more than a minute. 

The cooperation in the breakaway remained excellent as the riders approached the finale. In the closing kilometers, Amber Kraak joined the group after a long chase. The six riders would sprint for the victory. Van Dam launched her sprint at the right moment. In a duel with Williams, she was ultimately just fast enough to take the win. It marked her first professional victory in her first season in the yellow-and-black colors of Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women. 

“I chose Williams’ wheel because I knew I had to keep an eye on her. I launched my sprint at the right moment and managed to just edge past her. We’ll quickly turn our attention to tomorrow’s Pointe du Raz Classic, but I’m going to enjoy this victory immensely with the team,” Van Dam concluded.