Two out of the three AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step teams will be at the start of the Classic Lorient Agglomeration – Ceratizit Trophy, also known as GP Plouay, on Saturday.
Five elite riders will traverse no less than 15 municipalities within the Lorient Agglomeration, starting from Plouay and covering a distance of 159.6 kilometres. The course of this 22nd edition is characterised by more than 2200 meters of elevation gain, with two laps of the 11.7km-long Plouay circuit at the end.
The challenging race will be tackled by Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, accompanied by Mireia Benito, Julia Borgström, Anya Louw, and Ally Wollaston of the AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step team.
“Plouay has always been a challenging race that offers an opportunity for every type of rider. It’s a tough ground, but it can become a tactical race. That’s why I am really looking forward to it. We have a lot of strengths within our team with Ashleigh and Ally, but also free-spirited riders like Mireia, Julia, and Anya can make their mark here. A true classic in women’s cycling that I am really excited about,” said elite sports director Jolien D’hoore.
The riders of the U19 team will face a parcours in this third junior edition that consists of 13 laps through the streets of Plouay, each with a distance of 6.3 kilometres and 1248 vertical metres. Taking the start line from the squad will be Laia Bosch, Ella Heremans, Nela Kankovska and Luca Vierstraete.
“Ravaged by injuries and illnesses, we are not starting with a complete team, but it is great to have the opportunity to participate in a combined race with the elite category,” said Junior sports director Christian Kos. “This aligns perfectly with the structure we have in mind; taking steps up within the pyramid towards the World Tour. Luca not only proved to be capable of riding solo in Vresse, but also excelled uphill. With Laia and Ella, we have two other strong climbers on board. Nela completes the selection; with her strength, she should be able to stay in contention for a long time and collectively vie for podium. This year, it is a UCI 1.1 race, but I’ve heard that they intend to join the Nations Cup in the upcoming season.”
