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GP Ouest France - Plouay, France

28 August, 226K

A French Affair

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Even before the advent of the ProTour, the GP Ouest France - Plouay was a big race in it's own right. The race stood apart from the old World Cup competition as a race that every rider, especially the French, would kill to win. This year the GP Ouest France should be no different.

In 2005 the race will take the same classic parcours of 14.150K, starting and ending in Plouay (western France). This is the same small town that hosted the 2000 World Championships, which was won by Romans Vainsteins. The circuit, with two significant rises, is usually selective enough to hold off an out-right bunch sprint. By the time the riders are on the final of 16 circuits their legs will be fried, and we should see an all-out hard-man win.

Given the proximity of this race to the World Championships in Madrid (25 September), many riders will use it as a proving ground. The national Director Sportifs will still be searching to solidify their team make-up, and determine their team leader. So expect to see a true fist fight under the watchful eyes of the National DS's.

A few riders to note will be Filippo Pozzato (Quick-Step), Jens Voigt (Team CSC), Chris Horner (Saunier Duval-Prodir), Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile), Yaroslav Popovych (Discovery Channel), Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Caffita), and Stefano Garzelli (Liquigas-Bianchi). Pozzato has showed continued good form from his HEW-Cyclassics win, and this course should suit him nicely. Popovych is now a newly-wed, and might just want to impress his bride with a win using his superb Tour de France form. Finally, Horner has been on fire since coming back in early summer, he is very capable of pulling out the win.

Recent Past Winners:
1990 B. Cornillet
1991 A. De Las Cuevas
1992 R. Pensec
1993 T. Claveyrolat
1994 A. Tchmil
1995 R. Jaerman
1996 F. Vandenbroucke
1997 A. Ferrigato
1998 P. Hervé
1999 C. Mengin
2000 M. Bartoli
2001 N. Mattan
2002 J. Hunt
2003 A. Flickinger
2004 D. Rous