This .Pro race, ridden over the dirt paths around Lannilis, concludes the series of 4 events raced in Britanny this week since Thursday (Boucles de l’Aulne, Tour du Finistère, Grand-Prix du Morbihan were the first 3).
It is often a fun and eventful race, given the randomness of riding over the non-paved sections; that usually ends in a sprint within a tiny group of riders.
The titleholder Arnaud De Lie shan’t be present, but the rest of last year’s podium shall be: Venturini (🇫🇷 Arkéa) finished 3rd twice this week already, and Gautherat (🇫🇷 Decathlon) takes his season up again with this complicated race, after a short break.
This race, and Le Samyn, are some of the most entertaining races on the calendar. Especially if it’s bad weather!
I am unsure whether I ever watched le Samyn or not…
As French races with non-paved sectors, there are also the GP of Denain, a small Paris–Roubaix a few weeks before Paris–Roubaix (this race saw Küng wipe out the whole favourites group in 2024, in a wonderful bowling strike😂); and the new formula of Paris–Tours, the last race of the cycling year which, in the last third of the route, mixes short climbs (sides of the Loire valley) and stone paths sectors. However, riders/teams complained after the first experiment, so the paths are better refurbished now and it is a bit harder to create gaps significant enough to balance the last 10 km or even miles which are 100% flat. And of course, the shape of those races depends on the weather, as you said.
There were showers on the race in Brittany today, and other showers are forecasted around Lannilis tomorrow. So it probably will be rather wet and muddy.
edit: I read elsewhere that the paths sectors were dry today… Well, we shall see.