Célia Géry Wins Brabantse Pijl in Thrilling Sprint Finish

Célia Gery secured her first professional victory at the 2026 Brabantse Pijl Women’s race, delivering a decisive sprint finish in Overijse to claim the win on Friday, April 17, 2026.

The 20-year-old French rider, competing for FDJ United-SUEZ, outsprinted Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx-Protime and Silvia Persico of UAE ADQ in a tightly contested finale. Gery launched her attack well before the finish line, maintaining her advantage through the final meters to edge out her rivals in a three-rider sprint.

I began my sprint really far from the finish, but it was good, so I’m really happy. The girls did a really good job to close the gap to those in front, so I’m really proud of them.

Célia Gery

Gery’s victory marked her fifth career win and underscored the growing depth of the FDJ United-SUEZ squad beyond their established leader Demi Vollering. The win came after a tense and tactical race, during which several moves were attempted but nullified in the closing stages.

Earlier in the race, a two-rider breakaway formed featuring Loes Adegeest of Lidl-Trek and Anna van der Breggen of SD Worx-Protime. The pair had built a minute advantage but lost cooperation when van der Breggen failed to drop her Dutch compatriot on the final ascent of the Moskesstraat climb. Their lead evaporated as the peloton reorganized approaching the final S-Bocht climb to the line.

Despite the breakaway’s collapse, SD Worx remained well-positioned with multiple options for the sprint, including Bredewold and Lotte Kopecky. However, as the group swelled in the final few hundred metres, Gery timed her move to perfection, surging clear and holding off the charging Bredewold to take the victory.

The result denied SD Worx the expected outcome, particularly after they had targeted Kopecky as their primary sprinter. Instead, Gery’s explosiveness and team support proved decisive in a race that saw several favourites unable to control the closing kilometres.

For Gery, the win represented a significant breakthrough in her early career, coming in one of the season’s prominent Ardennes classics. Her performance highlighted the effectiveness of FDJ United-SUEZ’s teamwork and marked a shift in the spring classics hierarchy, with the French squad demonstrating increased competitiveness beyond their established stars.