2016 Bretagne Classic Ouest-France (GP Plouay) - 247k

[Alexandre B.]

Tomorrow will feature the 80th edition of the locally popular race held around the city of Plouay, Britanny. This World Tour race generally favors sprinters that can handle multiple hills, but attackers have still a decent chance at winning.

THE PARCOURS
http://www.grandprix-plouay.bzh/bases/article1_pdf/310/bretagne-classic-ouest-france.pdf

PREVIOUS WINNERS
2015 | KRISTOFF Alexander
2014 | CHAVANEL Sylvain
2013 | POZZATO Filippo
2012 | BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
2011 | BOLE Grega
2010 | GOSS Matthew
2009 | GERRANS Simon
2008 | FEDRIGO Pierrick
2007 | VOECKLER Thomas
2006 | NIBALI Vincenzo

2015 TOP TEN
1.KRISTOFF Alexander
2.PONZI Simone
3.NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas
4.BOLE Grega
5.ROELANDTS Jurgen
6.ROUX Anthony
7.FONSECA Armindo
8.POELS Wout
9.GULDHAMMER Rasmus
10.NIELSEN Magnus Cort

STARTLIST
Team Katusha -> Kristoff, Isaychev, Guarnieri, Haller, Tcatevich, Kozonchuk, Van den Broeck, Zakarin

Cannondale Pro Cycling -> Bauer, Bettiol, Van Baarle, Langeveld, Mullen, Navardauskas, Slagter, Wippert

FDJ -> Démare, Pineau, Konovalovas, Le Gac, Offredo, Roux, Vaugrenard, Hoelgaard

Astana -> Ayazbayev, Boom, De Vreese, Grivko, Kamyshev, Guardini, Tleubayev, Capecchi

Team Lotto NL-Jumbo -> Van Asbroeck, Hofland, Kelderman, Leezer, Martens, Roosen, Vanmarcke, Wynants

BMC Racing Team -> Burghardt Oss, Senni, Moinard, Schär, Van Avermaet, Velits, Vliegen

IAM Cycling -> Enger, Elmiger, Fumeaux, Haussler, Hollenstein, Naesen, Tanner, Zaugg

AG2R La Mondiale -> Chérel, Dumoulin, Gastauer, Gaudin, Gautier, Gougeard, Montaguti, Vuillermoz

Dimension Data -> Boasson Hagen, Berhane, Pauwels, Jim, Siutsou, Janse van Rensburg, Thomson, van Zyl

Lotto Soudal -> Benoot, De Bie, Debusschere, Ligthart, Roelandts, Vanendert, Wellens, Gallopin

Movistar Team -> Dowsett, J. Moreno, Je. Herrada, G. Izagirre, Lobato, Ventoso, Soler, Sütterlin

Etixx - Quick Step -> Martinelli, Boonen, Keisse, Trentin, Maes, Vandenbergh, Vermote, Wisniowski

ORICA BikeExchange -> Mezgec, Matthews, Plaza Molina, Impey, Albasini, Durbridge, Hayman, Verona

Direct Energie -> Chavanel, Coquard, Cornu, Gène, Grellier, Pichot, Petit, Voeckler

Team Giant - Alpecin -> S. K. Andersen, Curvers, De Backer, Degenkolb, Geschke, Sinkeldam, Timmer, Oomen

Bardiani CSF -> Colbrelli, Andreetta, Barbin, Boem, Rota, Ruffoni, Velasco, Zardini

Team Sky -> Deignan, Fenn, Moscon, Nordhaug, Swift, D. van Poppel, Seb. Henao, Rowe

Tinkoff -> Blythe, Gatto, Brutt, Ju. Sagan, Pe. Sagan, Kolar, Kreuziger, Valgren

Fortuneo - Vital Concept -> Fédrigo, Vachon, Sepulveda, Bideau, Gérard, Delaplace, Loubet, McLay

Cofidis, Solutions Crédits -> Bouhanni, Bozic, Edet, Simon, Laporte, Lemoine, Soupe, Turgis

Lampre - Merida -> Bono, Cimolai, Niemiec, Rui Costa, Mohoric, Xu, Polanc, Ulissi

Trek - Segafredo -> Alafaci, Arredondo, Bobridge, Coledan, Nizzolo, Rast, Stuyven, B. van Poppel

CCC Sprandi Polkowice -> De la Parte, Grosschartner, Hirt, Marycz, Kurek, Paterski, Rebellin, Samoilau

Wanty - Groupe Gobert -> Marcato, Antonini, Backaert, Minnaard, Bille, Claeys, Degand, Martin

Delko Marseille Provence -> Pacher, Hupond, Laborie, Fernandez, Kragh Andersen, Combaud, Diaz, El Farès

 

[BalearicBeats]

I think Van Avermaet will try to show off his bike here

 

[BigMac]

I like this race 'cos it means Québec and Montréal are just around the corner.

Higgs Boson for his second win.

 

[Alexandre B.]

My podium pick -> Kristoff, Enger, Colbrelli

 

[liamito]

Is the new parcours harder?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Is the new parcours harder?

See yourself -> http://www.grandprix-plouay.bzh/bases/article1_pdf/310/bretagne-classic-ouest-france.pdf

 

[Lexman]

Kristoff
Matthews
Roelandts

 

[PremierAndrew]

1-2-3 Bouhanni, Sagan, Kirstoff

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Lutsenko to take a nice solo win.

 

[liamito]

Re: Re:

Is the new parcours harder?

See yourself -> http://www.grandprix-plouay.bzh/bases/article1_pdf/310/bretagne-classic-ouest-france.pdf

I can't tell honestly.

Cote de Marta is a different climb than this one: https://www.strava.com/segments/5791385?

 

[Keram]

It should be a bunch sprint. I dont think this parcour can stop any of big names. Sagan to top three to grab solid points so he will win both uci world tour and uci ranking this year. He should go beside this one Montreal, Quebec, Eneco which is 340 points available. He could lost his form because of MTB though.

 

[Gigs_98]

This race is made for sprinters like Sagan, Matthews or Kristoff. I personally hope for a Sagan win but probably he isn't in the perfect shape for a race like this yet after he prepared for MTB in Rio.

Anyway I still can't believe how this race is WT and Paris Tours isnt. They suit the same kind of riders, but one used to be more important and because of a reason I don't know isn't anymore.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Sagan to beat GvA on an MTB

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Paris-Tour is still more important than Plouay. However, Plouay's position pre-Worlds on a type of parcours that often suits the Worlds and the variety of riders that can succeed here means it's a very useful form guide many years. Maybe not so much this year for Doha, but certainly ahead of Stuttgart, Varese, Geelong, Valkenburg and Ponferrada it worked for that purpose, because even if they don't get to the finish, the riders who are in position to be active late on have the right kind of form.

Except 2008, when Fédrigo outdid Ballan, then didn't go to Varese because he'd booked a family holiday that week.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Livestream:

http://oklivetv.com/france-3-live/

 

[Billie]

Sagan abandons with a viral infection

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Nizzolo FTW

 

[armchairclimber]

Wasn't Ewan down to ride this?

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Big break today?

 

[ToreBear]

Bad weather. Kristoff loves this, since it's just like home.

 

[BigMac]

http://oklivetv.com/france-3-live/

~80kms to go.

 

[yaco]

Re:

Wasn't Ewan down to ride this?

Ewan will ride the two Canadian Classics though not necessarily as the number one rider - Believe Matthews is riding the Tour of Britain.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Wasn't Ewan down to ride this?

Ewan will ride the two Canadian Classics though not necessarily as the number one rider - Believe Matthews is riding the Tour of Britain.

I really don't think Ewan has the same skillset as Gerrans, or even Kristoff. I don't think he can win the Canadian Classics. He has a much better chance here

 

[Alexandre B.]

Martinelli, Gougeard, Stuyven, Guarnieri, Nizzolo, Oss, Rui Costa, Chavanel and others are in the break now.

Orica chases.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Some good racing. 40km to go.