Classic Lorient Agglomération 2023

Updated: September 1, 2023

Classic Lorient Agglomération 2023 overview

Perhaps better known as the GP de Plouay, the Classic Lorient Agglomération is one of the longest-running races on the women’s calendar, having been put on for the first time in 2002. Starting and finishing in the town of Plouay in Brittany, the race has taken on several different routes during its history, but is always a climb-filled and very aggressive day out. Sitting apart from the Northern Classics or the more mountainous one-day races in the south, this race sits in a category of its own and has become one of the most prestigious events on the calendar.

The difficulty and prestige of the Classic Lorient Agglomération is clear to see from its glittering list of former winners, which includes women’s cycling legends Nicole Cooke, Fabiana Luperini and Emma Pooley, as well as Annemiek van Vleuten, Marianne Vos and Lizzie Deignan in more recent years. A typically hilly race but raced on circuits, this is a race that suits many different riders: either a climber on a good day, or even a sprinter who can hold on over the hills. The key to winning Plouay usually comes down to who is the most aggressive on the day.

Classic Lorient Agglomération 2023 key information

Date: September 2, 2023

Country: France

Category: 2.WWT (Women's WorldTour)

Editions: 21 (as of 2022)

First winner: Regina Schleicher

Most recent winner: Mavi García

Classic Lorient Agglomération 2023 route

The 2023 edition of the Classic Lorient Agglomération follows the same route as in 2022. The route changed quite substantially in 2022, seeing the circuits go south from Plouay towards Lorient, instead of north. This affected the profile of the race: instead of repetitions of one, climb-heavy loop, which saw the peloton taking on short, sharp rises every few kilometres, it was a flatter start to the race last year with most of the climbs squeezed into the final 40km.

The result of this redesign is that many more riders could hold on in the first 100km of racing, meaning a much bigger group is able to contest the climbing in the finale. You still have to be a strong climber to take on the repeated ascents after a long day, but it gives a variety of riders a better chance at winning this big one-day race.

© 4 Jours de Plouay

Classic Lorient Agglomération 2023 route map

Classic Lorient Agglomération 2023 contenders

In 2023, the Classic Lorient Agglomération will be the final one-day race in Europe for the WorldTour peloton, so it will be one last chance for the Classics specialists to take a big win. Despite its late spot in the calendar, the prestige of this race is always enough to draw in a stellar start list.

She may have only returned from maternity leave in April, but Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) cannot be overlooked. The Brit holds the record for wins here with three, and it’s a terrain that suits her abilities to a tee. Deignan hasn’t yet raced the new course, but if anything the lower volumes of climbs will suit her more, and this could become a big target if she’s still waiting for a win after the World Championships. Lidl-Trek will have plenty of other options too, with Elisa Balsamo and Amanda Spratt both riders who are capable of winning in Brittany.

One of only three WorldTour races France, this should be a big goal for FDJ-SUEZ who will have both last year’s third place Grace Brown and fifth place finisher Gladys Verhulst in their ranks. Able to field a mix of climbers and more sprint-capable riders to this race, FDJ will have options for a lot of different scenarios, and in Brown particularly they have the ideal kind of aggressive rider that should be in the frame in the finale.

Other riders who have a good chance here are the Movistar duo of Liane Lippert and Floortje Mackaij, defending champion Maví García and Canyon-SRAM’s all-rounder Elise Chabbey. With a bit of something for everyone in this course, and coming well after the Grand Tours have finished, this is a race that could see a wide mix of riders in the top-10.

Classic Lorient Agglomération 2023 teams

All 15 Women's WorldTour teams will line up for this year's Classic Lorient Agglomération, plus nine Continental-level teams.

• Liv Racing TeqFind
• UAE Team ADQ
• Jumbo-Visma
• FDJ-SUEZ
• Canyon-SRAM
• Israel-Premier Tech Roland
• SD Worx
• dsm-firmenich
• Lidl-Trek
• Jayco AlUla
• Movistar
• Human Powered Health
• EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
• Fenix-Deceuninck
• Uno-X
• Ceratizit-WNT
• Cofidis
• St Michel-Mavic-Auber93
• Arkéa Pro Cycling
• AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step
• Coop-Hitec Products
• Laboral Kutxa Fundación Euskadi
• AWOL O'Shea

What happened in the Classic Lorient Agglomération 2022?

Mavi García took the win in the 2022 edition of the Classic Lorient Agglomération, beating Amber Kraak in a sprint after the two broke away in the finale to deny a bunch sprint to the line. As usual, it was an action-packed edition of the race, with García proving to be the rider who made the decisive attack stick.

Classic Lorient Agglomération history

The first GP de Plouay was held in 2002, a women’s version of the GP Ouest France which had been running since 1931. Back then, it formed part of the Women’s Road World Cup, which was at the time the top-level series for the women’s peloton. Owing to its tough parcours, but more in the vein of French racing than Belgian cobbles, the race attracted many of the top climbers and quickly emerged as one of the hardest one-day races on the calendar.

The early races were around 115km in length, and featured a similar route to the north of Plouay as the editions in the late 2010s. The first edition was won by German Regina Schleicher, who went on to win several Classics and become world champion in 2005. Other winners in the 2000s include Nicole Cooke and Emma Pooley, two of the most decorated riders in the history of women’s cycling.

In recent years, another Brit has made this race her own: Lizzie Deignan holds the record for most wins with three, achieved in 2015, 2017 and 2020. The perfect combination of solid climber with a powerful kick and - crucially - an aggressive approach to racing, GP de Plouay is made for a rider like Deignan.

Explore the tabs above to find out more about this race, including the start list, route, and results after the race.

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