Bretagne, land of cycling
Every year, for a few days at the end of August, the small town of Plouay in French region of Bretagne becomes one of the epicenters of the cycling universe. This is what is traditionally known as the 4 days of Plouay, in which both men's and women's World Tour events are held, as well as amateur and junior races. Bretagne is an area with a lot of cycling history, with the five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault being undoubtedly the highest representative of this tradition.
The race has Atlantic overtones, with rain and wind usually deciding factors in the outcome of the event. The routes, for both men and women, go through undulating terrain with constant ups and downs. For this reason, it is common for cyclists with a flandrien profile to succeed, although a sprint resolution is not unusual.
Undoubtedly, the proximity of the start of the Tour de France will affect the level of the men's startlist, in which the current champion Sep Vanmarcke (400), 2018 winner Oliver Naesen (800) and 2017’s Elia Viviani (1200) stand out. Greg Van Avermaet (800), Michael Matthews (1000) Matteo Trentin (1000), Mike Teunissen (600), Alex Aranburu (400), Remi Cavagna (600), Rui Costa (600) or Luka Mezgec (600) will also be at the start line with winning options, to name a few.
Anna Van Der Breggen (1200), Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (800), Elisa Longo Borghini (1000) Amanda Spratt (1000), Marta Bastianelli (1000) or Marianne Vos (1200) are some of the most prominent names on the female starting list.