While the climbers battle it out on the Spanish climbs, the classics specialists have started a very busy schedule of autumn classics. The sprinters were in the spotlight when things kicked off last weekend in the Vattenfall Cyclassics but they will have a harder time in Sunday's GP Ouest France - Plouay which continues the series of one-day races. Held on a tough circuit in Bretagne, the race invites to aggression and often develops into a fierce battle between the teams of the strongest sprinters and the punchy attackers.

Paris-Roubaix may gain most of the attention as the biggest French one-day race but the big country actually has another single-day event on the WorldTour calendar. Held concurrently with the Vuelta a Espana, the GP Ouest France - Plouay is often overshadowed by the  Spanish grand tour but the Breton race is an exciting event that fits perfectly into the schedule of autumn classics that all favour a certain type of riders.

The race originates all the way back to 1931 and has been an annual event ever since, only interrupted by a short break during World War II. For many years, it was dominated by French riders and failed to gain much attention from the international peloton. Italian Ugo Anzile won the 1954 edition but the race wasn't taken by another foreigner until Dutchman Frits Pirard triumphed 25 years later.

Held in the cycling-mad Bretagne,  the race has, however, always gained plenty of national interest and been a real celebration of cycling. As the biggest race in the region, it has attracted large audiences and during the 90s, up to 300.000 spectators were spread out on the 27km circuit that is the setting of the race. During the 80s and 90s, the race gradually attracted a more international line-up and the French domination has completely disappeared.

The major breakthrough came when the race was a surprise inclusion on the ProTour calendar when the race series was introduced in 2005. Besides well-established classics Fleche Wallonne and Gent-Wevelgem, the Breton race was the only one-day event to get onto the finest calendar without having been part of the now defunct world cup series.

The race has since kept its position among the world's elite races but has faced an uphill battle during the tough economic times. Repeatedly, the future of the event has come under threat but until now, a solution has always been found. For now, the problems have been solved and nowadays the race forms part of 5-day cycling festival that also includes BMX and amateur races and a women's World Cup event held on the same circuit as the men's race.

The race may not be as esteemed as the major spring classics but at a time when the importance of WorldTour points cannot be underestimated, the race is a real target for most of the teams. The race fits perfectly into the calendar of autumn races suited to sprinters and puncheurs which kicked off with the Eneco Tour and the Vattenfall Cyclassics and continues with the Brussels Cycling Classic and the GP Fourmies next weekend and numerous French and Belgian one-day races later in September.

The race is held on a hilly 27km course around Plouay which was also used for the 2000 world championships won by Romans Vainsteins. The climbs in themselves are not overly difficult but the constant ups and downs on a 243km course turns it into a race of attrition that has mostly been won by some of the strongest escape artists in the business. In recent years, Vincenzo Nibali (2006), Thomas Voeckler (2007), Pierrick Fedrigo (2008), Simon Gerrans (2009) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (2012) have all won from breakaways but the toughest sprinters may also have their say as it is evidenced by Matthew Goss' (2010) and Grega Bole's (2011) sprint wins. The unpredictable race is usually highly aggressive with numerous attacks being launched on the many climbs while the sprint teams try to keep it together for a sprint from a small peloton.

Last year Edvald Boasson Hagen took his third big one-day win in a WorldTour race when he powered clear from the peloton on the final lap of the circuit. He made it up to a lone Rui Costa who appeared to have the win locked up but the Norwegian was so strong that not even the double Tour de Suisse winner could keep his wheel. Boasson Hagen took a beautiful solo win ahead of Costa while Heinrich Haussler won the peloton's sprint to complete the podium. Last year's winner won't be back to defend his title as he is currently racing the Vuelta a Espana but Costa will be back to try to go one better than he did one year ago.

The course

The GP Ouest France - Plouay is not a typical one-day race on the WorldTour calendar. Alongside the newly-established Canadian races, the French race is the only one to use the circuit format that is mostly known from the world championships and a number of smaller races. The entire race takes place on a hilly 27km circuit that will be covered 9 times to make up a long 243km race.

From the start just outside Plouay, the riders head downhill towards the centre of the city to tackle the first of the circuit's two main climbs, Cote du Lezot, which has a length of a little more than a kilometre and has several places with a 7% gradient. The top is located at the 2,5km mark and from there, the riders tackle a long, gradual descent as they leave the city to continue in a northern direction.

At the 7km mark, the riders reach the bottom of the descent and from there, the roads are a slightly ascending all the way to the northernmost point of the circuit in Chapelle Ste Anne des Bois. From there, the riders turn around to head back towards Plouay while they travel along flat roads all the way to the 18km mark. Here the riders make a small digression from the direct route to Plouay while they tackle a 2km descent.

From there, 7km remain and the first 2 of those are mostly flat. Then it's time for the circuit's toughest climb Cote de Ty Marrec which is just a little bit shy of 1km in length and has some steep 10% sections. What makes the climb more difficult is the fact that the road still points slightly upwards for another kilometre when the top of the climb has officially been reached. The next two kilometres are slightly up and down and lead to the flamme rouge from where it's all slightly downhill to the high-speed finish in the outskirts of Plouay.

The race follows its usual script with the establishment of an early breakaway but it often takes quite some time for the right combination to have been found. That break will gradually be reeled in by the favourite teams of which some try to increase the pressure on the numerous climbs.

The breakaway usually splits up along the way but is likely to be brought back into the fold. That doesn't stop the aggression. On the contrary, it often signals the start of the real race. The final two laps are usually a festival of attacks and it takes a dedicated effort from the teams of the strongest sprinters to keep the many strong climbers in check.

A strong group is likely to go clear on the final lap and from there, the race develops into a tense pursuit between the peloton and the escapees and an elimination race as riders constantly drop off. While the sprinters need to ask their teams to go full gas on the climbs, they also need to keep something in reserve for what is usually a highly unorganized sprint, should it all be brought back together for a final kick to the line. The final break is usually caught inside the final few kilometres, and if it stays away, it is only just by a matter of a few seconds.

The most obvious launch pads for attacks are of course the two climbs and the steep Ty Marrec has often been where the decisive break has gone clear. However, the sections after the top of the climbs both offer similarly good options as there is no immediate descent and so the peloton often slows down to catch its breath.

The weather

The riders couldn't have wished better conditions for a bike race than what Plouay has on offer on Sunday. Bright sunshine is expected for most of the day and the temperatures should reach their maximum at around 23 degrees.

There will be a moderate wind from a northwestern direction which means that the riders will have a headwind during most of the early part of the circuit. This makes it harder for an attack on the day's first climb to be successful.

When the riders turn around at the northernmost point, they will enjoy a tailwind for a long time but just before the bottom of the crucial Cote de Ty-Marrec, it will change to a crosswind. That will be the conditions for the final part of the circuit and should make the section at the top of the steep climb a little more difficult, thus offering a late break a slightly better chance of success.

The favourites

During the first years with a status as top level race, the GP Ouest France - Plouay was mostly decided by strong breakaways who narrowly held off the peloton in the finale. In recent years, the race has leaned more towards the strong sprinters and last year it was only a superior solo performance by Boasson Hagen that prevented a third consecutive sprint finish.

Keeping this recent trend in mind, one cannot be too surprised to see that a number of teams line up their tough sprinters for the race. Most also include a number of attackers to cover the late moves but a lot of squads have a sprint finish on their minds. As some of the sprinters are supported by very strong teams, this makes it less likely that a breakaway will stay to the finish and the odds are in favour of a sprint finish from a reduced bunch.

If that is the outcome, it's hard to look beyond Alexander Kristoff. The Norwegian sprinter is a hardman who has all the characteristics to shine on the Plouay circuit. Kristoff is certainly not the fastest sprinter in the business but he is very hard to beat at the end of a tough race. This year he has already won bunch sprints in the Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix - albeit for minor placings in the top 10 - and he made it onto the podium in last year's Olympic road race by winning a sprint from a big breakaway. This year he beat Peter Sagan in a tough uphill finish in the Tour de Suisse. He is not only strong enough to mix it up with the best at the end of long, hard races, he still has a very powerful kick when all his rivals are on their knees.

The climbs should not be hard enough to put him into difficulty and should only make him stronger compared to his fellow sprinters. His other main asset is his positioning ability. The Norwegian rarely misses the top 10 when he is involved in a hectic bunch sprint and this consistency is mostly due to his ability to find the right wheel. That ability is made even more impressive by the fact that he is mostly left to fend for himself in the hectic finales and this ability will be crucial in the Plouay sprint which is often very confusing and unorganized as most sprinters are left without support. He finished his debut Tour de France strongly but missed the Arctic Tour of Norway due to pneumonia. He bounced back strongly with a stage win in the Tour de Fjords and last Sunday, he proved his ability to sprint at the end of a long race when he finished 3rd in the Vattenfall Cyclassics. He has a strong, dedicated team to support him with riders like Alexandr Kolobnev and Simon Spilak to cover late moves. Pavel Brutt, Mikhail Ignatiev and Maxim Belkov will keep the pace high in the early part of the race and Eduard Vorganov and Yory Trofimov will be present to reel in late escapees.

Kristoff has to keep a close eye on the Radioshack team if it comes down to a bunch sprint. Giacomo Nizzolo is another tough sprinter who has all the characteristics to shine on this course. Among the sprinters, the young Italian is one of the best climbers as he proved when he won two of the hardest stages in this year's Tour of Luxembourg. It is no coincidence that he has finished 5th and 7th in his first two participations in Plouay and now he is ready to take his first big one-day win.

Nizzolo is not only a strong climber, he is also very fast and in splendid condition. In the recent Eneco Tour, he joined Andre Greipel in the top 2 in all three bunch sprints, proving not only his speed but also his ability to position himself. He recently raced the Vattenfall Cyclassics and claimed to have fantastic legs. Unfortunately, he had to brake in the sprint when Marcel Sieberg finished his lead-out and this took away his winning chances. With experienced Danilo Hondo as his pilot in the hectic finishes, he often finds himself in the perfect position for the sprint and that will be important in the hectic Plouay finishes. His team had a number of attackers on their roster for last week's race but chose to commit themselves entirely to their young sprinter and if they do so again in Plouay, the strong team will be a very valuable asset when it comes to bringing everything back together.

John Degenkolb took his first big one-day win on Sunday in the Vattenfall Cyclassics and the course in Plouay seems to be a perfect opportunity for him to double his tally. Degenkolb is not only a sprinter, he is also a classics specialist who thrives in the cobbled classics, and the short, steep Plouay climbs should be no big problem for the versatile German. He has had a difficult season this year and has actually sprinted quite terribly all year but his legs suddenly came around last Sunday when he held off none other than Andre Greipel in the sprint in Hamburg. At the end of an easy day, he would have no chance against his faster compatriot but at the end of a long, hard day in the saddle, he is extremely powerful. That endurance will come in handy in Plouay.

Two question marks linger over Degenkolb's head. First of all he is not very good at positioning himself in a hectic finale. He is usually very reliant on his team but cannot expect to have an awful lot of support at the end of the Plouay race. Tom Dumoulin and Francois Parisien are the only other Argos riders that are likely to survive the climbs and that will make the final sprint a challenge for Degenkolb. Secondly, the German was not climbing very well in the Eneco Tour and appeared to not be at his best. He may have won the sprint in Hamburg but the German race was far easier than usual. If Degenkolb has not improved since the Eneco Tour, he may get dropped before the finish in Plouay.

No one can deny that Arnaud Demare is in splendid condition. His win in the uphill sprint in the Eneco Tour was fantastic. As he proved in the 4 Jours de Dunkerque which he won, he is a rather strong climber and the Plouay hills should not be too difficult for Demare to handle. He failed to defend his win in the Vattenfall Cyclassics but as we claimed in our preview of that race, that was likely to happen due to his bad positioning.

That weakness could once again be his undoing in Plouay. We doubt that he will get dropped on the climbs and even though he has a very strong team to support him, he has to handle what is probably a very chaotic finale. This could put him out of the running but if he gets an opening, he will be very difficult to beat, the young Frenchman probably being the fastest sprinter in the race. It would certainly be a dream come true for Demare to win one of his biggest one-day races on home soil.

When it comes to top speed, Demare is probably only matched by Elia Viviani. The Italian is mostly regarded as a pure sprinter but don't be fooled. He is an extremely versatile and resistant sprinter who is also one of the fastest in the business. He proved  that ability when he finished 2nd behind Ben Swift in the tough uphill sprint in Zakopane in last year's Tour de Pologne and when he made it over several climbs in a hard Dauphiné stage earlier this year to take the win in a sprint. It is no wonder that Viviani hopes to be a man for the cobbled classics in the future.

Having enjoyed a mid-season break, he is back in good condition.He won the Dutch Food Valley Classics in a bunch sprint and he dominated the Tour of the Elk Grove earlier this month. In between those races, he participated in the Eneco Tour where he paid the price for a lack of team support but still took 5th and 9th in the bunch sprints and he finished 5th in Hamburg. He tried to battle with the best in the uphill sprint in Brussels but that ended up being a little bit too much. At his best, he should be strong enough to survive the Plouay climbs and if that happens, he will be a danger man in a sprint finish.

Thor Hushovd is not the fastest sprinter in the business but he is certainly one of the strongest. His two stage wins in the Tour de Pologne and overall win in the Arctic Tour of Norway were a huge relief for the powerful Norwegian who is now back at his best after a very difficult and illness-hampered season. He had targeted Vattenfall Cyclasscis and had the total commitment from his team but the race ended up being too easy and he had no chance against a host of rather fresh sprinters.

The Plouay course is much tougher and that plays into the hands of Hushovd. If it comes down to a bunch sprint, his presence is almost guaranteed and while many of his faster rivals will have lost power on the tough course, Hushovd will remain strong. To benefit maximally from his endurance, he needs a hard race and he has a strong team to create one. Greg Van Avermaet, Daniel Oss, Michael Schär, Manuel Quinziato and Mathias Frank are all in splendid condition and the BMC team shapes up as one of the strongest. The team both has the firepower to set up a bunch sprint and the strength to wear down the opposition.

If the right combination of escapees get clear and a hard race brings the sprint teams down on their knees, a breakaway win can certainly not be excluded. One rider who is likely to benefit from such a scenario is Michael Albasini. Orica-GreenEDGE has former winner Matthew Goss for a sprint finish but the Australian has had a terrible season and his team is unlikely to put all their eggs in the Goss basket. This opens up opportunities for a rider like Albasini who is one of the best escape artists in the peloton. The Swiss has a fantastic ability to pick the right moves and he is one of the strongest riders in the business.

His attack in the finale of the Vattenfall Cyclassics indicates that he has recovered from the Tour de France. He was fatigued at the end of the French race but appears to be ready to take his first big one-day win. He recently raced the Tour du Poitou-Charentes but abandoned to be ready for Sunday's big race. The hilly terrain is perfectly suited to the rider who finished 2nd in last year's Fleche Wallonne and he is also very fast in a sprint. If he makes it to the finish as part of a small breakaway group, he will be very difficult to beat.

Speaking of breakaway artists, it's hard not to mention Thomas Voeckler. The French darling has had a horrible season. His spring season was ruined by a broken collarbone and he crashed when he returned to competition in the Tour of Belgium. He appeared to have found his best legs for the Tour when he won a stage in the Dauphiné and the Route du Sud overall but his participation in his big home race ended as an anonymous disaster.

Now his legs have finally started to come around. This week he won the Tour du Poitou-Charentes by beating a host of time trial specialists in a 22,8km race against the clock. He's never won a time trial before and this proves that he is very strong at the moment. He is a former winner of this race, has a fantastic ability to pick the right break, is wily and is even rather fast in a sprint. It's not a question whether Voeckler will attack in the finale. It's only a question whether it will stick all the way to the end.

***** Alexander Kristoff

**** Gicomo Nizzolo, John Degenkolb

*** Arnaud Demare, Elia Viviani, Thor Hushovd, Michael Albasini, Thomas Voeckler

** Simone Ponzi, Sylvain Chavanel, Greg Van Avermaet, Lars Boom, Daryl Impey, Wilco Kelderman, Michal Kwiatkowski, Matthew Goss

* Jose Joaquin Rojas, Matti Breschel, Paul Martens, Rui Costa, Tony Gallopin, Daniel Oss, Alexandr Kolobnev, Ian Stannard