As one of the heartlands of French cycling, it’s not surprising that Brittany hosts a UCI WorldTour race. Indeed, the small Breton town of Plouay has been home to a major bike race since 1931 and the UCI Road World Championships were held there in 2000.
The GP Ouest France – Plouay was created by the then Tour de France doctor Monsieur Berty in 1931. He used his influence and friendship to attract some of the sport’s biggest names to the first ever edition and the race has often been won by the stars of professional cycling. Supporting events have grown over the years and now include BMX races, track racing, a mass-participation ride, the GP Plouay-Bretagne UCI Women Road World Cup race on the Saturday and then the grand finale with the men's UCI WorldTour race, this season on Sunday August 30 in 2015.
The event organisation is always world class thanks to the hard work of the hundreds of local volunteers, and a holiday atmosphere reigns at all moments. Riders love to ride the GP Ouest France and it is one of the biggest objectives of the season for the French athletes.
The athletes cover eight laps of a demanding 27km circuit that includes climbs and technical descents that really test riders’ fitness just a few weeks before the UCI Road World Championships. The race ends with a final lap of 14km with the late climb of Côte de Ty-Marrec providing the perfect place to launch attacks. Sometimes a small group of riders manages to stay away but often they are caught by the sprinters and their teams in sight of the finish line.
The roll of honour at the GP Ouest France – Plouay includes many illustrious winners. The 2014 Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali took a surprise victory in 2006, at the age of just 22. Sean Kelly was the first English-speaking rider to win in 1984. More recently, Simon Gerrans and Matt Goss of Australia won in 2009 and 2010, with Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen showing his class in 2012 and Italy's Filippo Pozzato helping resurrect his career with a surprise win in 2013.
In 2014 the attackers managed to hold off the chasing peloton, with Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel (IAM Cycling) winning the seven-rider sprint ahead of Italy's Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli-Yellow Fluo) and compatriot Arthur Vichot (FDJ.fr). Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) was only two seconds behind but had to settle for eighth place. Perhaps it will be his turn for victory in 2015.