Julian Alaphilippe will lead the team at the last French World Tour appointment of the season.
One of the longest one-day races of the season, the 258km Bretagne Classic will once again comprise countless hills, the most important of which will be the ones close to Plouay, the city that hosted the 2000 World Championships. Rostervel (1500m, 4.4%), Le Lezot (900m, 5.3%) and Kerscoulic (225m, 8.9%) – all crammed in the final 14 kilometers – will come in quick succession, promising to fragment what should already be a reduced bunch by then.
Runner-up here in 2021, Julian Alaphilippe returns to competition in the team’s colors for the first time since Clasica San Sebastian, at the end of July. The two-time World Champion will be joined by Rémi Cavagna, Dries Devenyns, Fausto Masnada – back from a saddle sore injury and making his first outing since the month of May – Mauro Schmid, Florian Sénéchal and Mauri Vansevenant.
“The course is almost 260 kilometers in length and far from being easy. Small roads, up and down the entire time, and even a gravel section are the ingredients of Sunday’s race. Julian is our main card, but we also have other riders who have shown how strong they are in recent weeks and could play an important role, so we are confident in our chances of a good result”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno / Getty Images
