Bretagne Classic - CIC 2026: Magnier and Philipsen Lead the Favourites in Plouay

A late-summer classic in PlouayOn Sunday 30 August 2026, the WorldTour calendar heads to Brittany for the Bretagne Classic - CIC, the French one-day race that traditionally closes the summer classics season. The event takes place in Plouay, a symbolic venue for Breton cycling, on a circuit that typically rewards riders who excel in nervous, tactical races.The race is part of the WorldTour, the highest level of professional cycling, and represents a key appointment for sprinters and classics specialists ahead of the final months of the season.The expected protagonistsThe verified startlist, for now, includes 23 riders, with some of the best teams in the peloton. Among the most notable names are Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin - Premier Tech), two of the most anticipated sprinters. Also keep an eye on Matej Mohorič (Bahrain - Victorious), Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), and Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets). Euskaltel - Euskadi fields the largest squad with seven riders, while Decathlon CMA CGM and Unibet Rose Rockets each bring three.Results so far this seasonLooking at the season history, Paul Magnier arrives in Plouay on the back of his victory at the ADAC Cyclassics (16 August), a WorldTour classic that is similar in character to the Bretagne Classic. The young Frenchman also won the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen (14 June) and finished third at the Circuit Franco-Belge (10 June).Jasper Philipsen has shown good form by winning the Copenhagen Sprint (14 June) and finishing eighth at both the Scheldeprijs and the Dwars door Vlaanderen.Among the other entrants, Rick Pluimers (Tudor) took fourth at the Circuit Franco-Belge and 14th at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Clément Venturini finished fifth at the Polynormande (16 August), seventh at the Circuit Franco-Belge, and eighth at the Tro-Bro Léon. Matej Mohorič boasts a 15th place at Milan-San Remo and an 18th at Dwars door Vlaanderen.Among potential surprises, Lewis Askey (NSN) made the podium at Tro-Bro Léon (third) and finished 13th at Paris-Roubaix. Filippo Fiorelli (Visma | Lease a Bike) won Tro-Bro Léon, while Jan Christen was seventh at the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa and 11th at Milan-Turin.Favourites for victoryBased on the available data, the number one favourite is Paul Magnier: his win at the ADAC Cyclassics makes him the only entrant with a recent victory in a WorldTour classic, and his consistency in semi-classics (Muur Classic, Circuit Franco-Belge) underlines his solidity. Jasper Philipsen is the main candidate for a reduced sprint, thanks to the pure speed shown at the Copenhagen Sprint. Rick Pluimers and Clément Venturini complete the list of favourites, backed by their regularity in similar races. The Bretagne Classic takes place in Plouay, a venue that has hosted the UCI Road World Championships several times (most recently in 2000) — source: OFFICIAL RACE DATAWith only 23 starters registered yet, controlling the race will be harder than usual: teams like Euskaltel - Euskadi could try long-range moves, while Alpecin will have to manage the pressure for Philipsen. Rain or wind, typical of Brittany, could favour a natural selection and open up unpredictable scenarios.Podium predictionPaul Magnier – for his win at the ADAC Cyclassics and consistency in semi-classics.Jasper Philipsen – for his speed and victory at the Copenhagen Sprint.Rick Pluimers – for his regularity in similar races.