Mathieu van der Poel will resume his highway racing on the Bretagne Vintage-Ouest France on Sunday, nearly a month after being topped international champion. Even though van der Poel did blow their own horns his new rainbow stripes on the Etten Leur criterium two weeks in the past, it’s going to be his first WorldTour race since his win in Glasgow.
Van der Poel’s agenda additionally contains GP de Fourmies. GP de Wallonie, Tremendous 8 Vintage, Circuit Franco-Belge and ends with Paris-Excursions. After crashing out of the mountain motorcycle international championships, the Dutch rider continues to be aiming to constitute his nation in that tournament on the Paris Olympic Video games in 2024.
“On the finish of September, I can race within the Olympic mountain motorcycle tournament in Paris,” van der Poel instructed Ouest-France. “To bridge the length that separates us from this race, I made up our minds, in session with the crew, to participate in a couple of highway races. The Bretagne Vintage is a gorgeous vintage with its winding roads and small hills. That fits me. The length may be beneficial, so it’s the perfect time to renew festival.”
Even though he’s a favorite to win the French one-day race, Alpecin-Deceuninck will line with a double-prong danger with Jasper Philipsen, who simply received a level on the Renewi Excursion.
Remaining yr, Wout van Aert got here out on best in a discounted bunch dash, however the Belgian has selected to line up on the Excursion of Britain, and is probably not provide to shield his identify. Jumbo-Visma will convey Christophe Laporte who may be returning to racing after a brief leisure following his DNF on the International Championships.
In most cases, the victory is snatched by way of a robust sprinter who can care for the hilly path, however no longer at all times as Benoît Cosnefroy demonstrated in 2021 when he outfoxed Julian Alaphilippe in a two-man wreck to take the victory.
Former winners at the get started checklist come with AG2R Citroën Workforce duo of Cosnefroy (2021) and Oliver Naesen (2018, 2016), Jayco-AlUla’s Michael Matthews (2020), Ineos Grenadiers’ Elia Viviani (2017) and TotalEnergies’ Edvald Boasson-Hagen (2012).
Different riders to look at come with 21-year-old Arnaud de Lie (Lotto Dstny) who got here shut final yr to in the end end fourth, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Alaphilippe (Soudal Fast-Step).
Targeted round Plouay, the 258.3km path delivers a loop of difficult, selective racing in Brittany with 4,235 metres of elevation sooner than the end line. As they hit 95 kilometres to head, the ten hills will come speedy within the subsequent 50km, beginning with Ty Coz, and together with Le Hellès, and Kervelen, all 3 with most ramps of 12%.
In between all the ones leg-busting ascents, the organizers added an 800-metre gravel segment at 80 km from the end, with a purpose to ‘enliven the race and get up the peloton’.
Ten extra hills will proceed to sap the legs within the ultimate 40 kilometers sooner than the peloton faces the similar quick completing circuit as in earlier years. The 11.7km loop contains the Bosse of Rostervel (1.5 km at 4.5%), 9km from the end. The Côte du Lézot (1km at 6%) with a max ramp of 14%, adopted by way of the quick and steep Kerscoulic (225m at 8.9%) would be the final giant impediment to triumph over best 4km from the general victory.
