• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

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

logo1401116432.png

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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 

TRENDING THREADS