VARIED CARDS TO PLAY IN PLOUAY

A long-standing August highlight on the WorldTour calendar is fast approaching: the 24th edition of Classic Lorient Agglomération – Ceratizit. Affectionately known as Plouay, after the Breton town where it takes place, the race is defined by narrow, twisting roads through the region’s lumpy landscape, and the dynamic racing that this allows for.

The CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto squad arrives after varied race schedules. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and Chloé Dygert return to racing for the first time since the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, kickstarting important late-season race programmes. Nastya Kolesava comes from Belgian racing and Agnieszka-Skalniak Sójka from a successful Tour de Pologne after a disappointing, premature end to her TDFFAZ campaign. Alice Towers and Antonia Niedermaier, meanwhile, haven’t raced since the Giro d’Italia Women at the beginning of July. 

This year’s Classic Lorient Agglomération course is a pinch longer than last years at 165km versus 158km, making it the first edition to surpass 160km. Similarly, last year was the first to exceed 2000m of elevation gain, while this year presents an additional 500m of climbing. Historically largely circuit-based, the race now begins with a wide-ranging opening loop before returning for the ever-animated finishing circuits. The profile is relentlessly jagged, with scarcely a metre of flat terrain outside the final finishing straight. While most roads remain familiar, three sections on the opening loop have been rerouted. The final 45km of the race is unchanged, featuring unabtating 500m to 2km climbs that lead into 2.5 closing laps of 12km. This finale always centres around the Côte du Lézot (0.8km at 4.9%) and the flowing, technical roads that follow, often igniting aggressive racing.

The race is usually won by the strongest puncheur-style riders – those who can endure the relentless, attritional climbs while saving enough energy to join or respond to decisive moves in the closing stages. Despite the course getting tougher year upon year, a relatively large group is still often together deep into the finale, setting up an edge-of-your-seat conclusion.

Following the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Chloé returned home to the USA for recovery and the resumption of training, aiming to use Classic Lorient Agglomération as a springboard towards the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda.

“It’s always nice being home, and the resources that are there have been a huge game changer to my training this season specifically. From the altitude to the track training, I’m really pleased with where my fitness is.”

Last year, she produced a standout performance at Classic Lorient Agglomération, joining a late three-rider break in the last 5km and sprinting to second behind fellow escapee Bredewold (SDW) in a tactical finale. This year, she lines up with ambitions of at least matching that result.

“The ideal scenario is always to win. I feel like I’ve lost my ability to go solo whether it’s a physical or a mental block since my accident, and it would be very nice to get that back.”

“I really like the circuit at the end. I feel like the harder it is the better it is for me so this year I’m hoping to make it as hard as possible to see how I perform with the best. I feel like it’s a race suited to my abilities and I just need to learn how to win. I’m excited to try to go for it this weekend.”

For Cecilie and Nastya, this year marks their fifth appearance in Plouay, with the race ranking as the second-most contested event of Nastya’s career. She shares her take on it.

“Plouay is a tough one, to be honest. Every edition is getting harder and longer… in my opinion, it’s very important in this race to be well positioned. There are a lot narrow roads, many riders, and not so many places where you can move up to the front of the peloton. But, a team also needs to be patient because the race is long.”

HOW TO FOLLOW

Classic Lorient Agglomération – Ceratizit | 1.WWT | Sat, Aug 30 | 165.5km | 2669m elevation | Start: 11:50 – Fastest finish: 16:30 CET.

Live coverage from 12:00 CET on France 3, Discovery Plus/ Eurosport and TNT Sports. Stay updated on X with #4jourscicplouay, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels for team updates.