The race formerly known as the GP Ouest France, formerly known as the Grand Prix de Plouay, gets underway Sunday in Brittany. Sprinters and escape artists alike will be optimistic about their chances in the always-unpredictable event, one of the last few opportunities to take a WorldTour one-day win this year.
The Route
Organizers made big changes to the route this year, but the Bretagne Classic-Ouest-France is likely to play it in familiar fashion. Even with over 200km over point-to-point racing on a newly designed route, the trek through northwestern France will still finish on the old Plouay circuit.
That means the final 13.9km will likely be the deciding factor in the race. The circuit kicks off with the short, not-that-challenging Cote de Lezot. From the top of the climb comes a descent to the foot of the Côte de Ty Marrec, the marquee climb of the race. It’s only about a kilometer in length but there are sections that jump over 10% in gradient. After hte riders crest the climb it’s less than 5km to finish, which is flat enough for a sprint if there’s a large enough group in the lead.
The Favorites
The parcours is balanced in such a way that it’s very hard to predict whether the victory will go to a late attacker or a sprinter. That makes the escape artists who can finish strong particularly deadly.
Greg Van Avermaet can win with a solo flier or out of a reduced group at the line, making him a very strong contender for the win. Assuming the motivation is still there after his big victory in Rio, he should have some form left over to fight in Plouay.
Peter Sagan also fits the bill. Form is a bit more of a question mark for Sagan, as he’s been in mountain bike mode for the last several weeks, but if he’s in racing shape this is a terrific profile for him.
Rui Costa is a potential attacker with a fast finish who has come close to winning this race in the past. His Lampre teammate Diego Ulissi could contend as well. Lotto-Soudal has even more options: Tim Wellens, Tony Gallopin, Jurgen Roelandts, and Tiesj Benoot are all legitimate contenders on this profile.
Edvald Boasson Hagen, 2014 winner Sylvain Chavanel, Ramunas Navardauskas, and Matteo Trentin are others who could win if things get interesting in the finale.
Alexander Kristoff, the defending champion, is one of several possible winners in a sprint—though he’s not my favorite given a lack of big-time results recently.
Nacer Bouhanni proved his form in Hamburg and has the climbing legs to survive on this parcours. He should be right up there in a bunch kick. Ditto for John Degenkolb, who looks to be back on track.
Giacomo Nizzolo always does well in Plouay and was in the mix in Hamburg. Arnaud Démare has had a quiet season since his Milano-Sanremo win but this is a good profile for him. Michael Matthews, JJ Lobato, Danny van Poppel, and Ben Swift could get involved as well.
VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites
Winner: Greg Van Avermaet
Podium: Rui Costa, Nacer Bouhanni
Other Top Contenders: John Degenkolb, Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff, Giacomo Nizzolo, Tony Gallopin, Michael Matthews, Arnaud Démare
