GP Ouest-France Preview

The GP Ouest-France in Plouay will roll off on Sunday and yet again promises a great field and great action. The 13 lap event around Brittany should certainly provide a test for the riders, and seems to set up very well for a breakaway.

The three medium climbs on each lap should not be too grueling in the beginning, but after doing them about 8 times each they will start to take their toll. The breakaway that could win the race would have to be full of strong men willing to work together to the end and stay away from the field. A solo rider does not stand a chance unless he attacks very late and has enough to keep the charging peloton at bay. There is the off chance that it could end up in a bunch sprint, but my guess is that many of the top sprinters will have been dropped by then. Here are some riders to keep an eye on.

Bradley Wiggins- His teammate Simon Gerrans is the defending champ, but he is still recovering from his injury suffered at the TdF so it seems Wiggins will be leading the Sky team. He has taken a long time of rest, so his legs should be pretty fresh and the only matter is whether he is on form.

Ryder Hesjedal- "Weight of a Nation" is looking to continue to build on his strong season, and this route looks absolutely perfect for him. There are some climbs, but nothing too dramatic that he would be in risk. Ryder can also fly on the flats and win small-scale sprints so he seems a perfect man to put in the potential race winning breakaway.

Damiano Cunego- This guy is really hungry for a victory, and like Hesjedal, I think the course suits him well. I would expect Cunego to be a part of at least one if not all of the moves to ensure that he has a chance at the race. Also, like Hesjedal, he is a great contender on smaller scale sprints so he has a legit chance once he joins a breakaway.

Samuel Sanchez- Alright, he isn't the type of rider one would expect to win this race, but talent is talent and Sanchez is a legitimate threat no matter where he goes.

Luis Leon Sanchez- He kind of falls into the same category as Sam Sanchez, although he has shown he is capable of winning one day events like the one he took in San Sebastien earlier this summer.

Peter Sagan- Great sprinter, and the medium climbs shouldn't be too much for him. If he can manage to get into a breakaway, he is almost a lock to take the sprint. He is one of the up and coming "supertalents" and this would be another chance for him to get some major publicity and glory.

Other contenders: Christophe Le Mevel, Simon Gerrans, Phillipe Gilbert, Alessandro Ballan, Brice Feillu, Oscar Pereiro, Dan Martin, Pierrick Fedrigo

Of course there is the off chance option of a sprint finish, and there are actually some top level sprinters who made their teams cut: Tyler Farrar, Matthew Goss, Grega Bole, Romain Feillu, Jose Rojas