CYCLING – THIS week, Bahrain Victorious will make their debut at four races in the Bretagne (Ouest-France) region.
With a mix of WorldTour and Development Team riders, the team will line up on consecutive days at: Les Boucles de l’Aulne – Châteaulin (today), the Tour du Finistère (tomorrow), Grand Prix du Morbihan (Saturday), and Tro-Bro Léon (Sunday).
The team open their campaign in Bretagne with a youthful lineup featuring Phil Bauhaus as team leader and road captain. He will be supported by WorldTour rookies Žak Eržen (19), Vlad Van Mechelen (20), and Alberto Bruttomesso (21), alongside Development Team riders Alessandro Borgo, Thomas Capra, and Seth Dunwoody.
“We’re thrilled to take part in these fantastic races in Bretagne, a region deeply connected to cycling. It will be a great week of racing on France soil, where our boys can gain experience and explore new opportunities of competing at high level” said sports director Borut Božic, who will be supported in the team car by Robert Jenko from the Bahrain Victorious Development Team.
“These events offer our Development Team riders a chance to race with our WorldTour team and gain experience. The Boucles de l’Aulne course is tough, especially for young riders, but our team is motivated to support Phil, who’s in good form and aiming for a sprint result.”
The 183.1 kilometre course features a series of circuits: two large 21km loops, four 20.4km laps including the key 3km climb (6.7 per cent), and seven laps of a final 8.5km finishing circuit, reminiscent of the iconic Grand Prix Plouay/Bretagne Classic.
A new combination will take on the 39th Tour du Finistère (1.1), featuring top riders like Matej Mohoric and Fred Wright, alongside Torstein Træen, Mathijs Paasschens, and Max van der Meulen. Development riders Kasper Borremans and Jakob Omrzel complete the squad.
“This race resembles the Ardennes Classics with its punchy profile,” said Božic. The 168km course from Quimper to Quimper includes several short, steep climbs and four hilltop sprint points - an intense test of climbing power and positioning.
Day three brings the toughest test of the week: the 35th Grand Prix du Morbihan (1.Pro). Most of the Tour du Finistère squad returns – minus Mohoric and Wright – with Sergio Tu joining the lineup.
The 188.5km race, starting and finishing in Plumelec, features over 3,000 metres of elevation and a circuit format: five laps of 13.6km followed by six shorter laps of 7.8km. The terrain includes several categorized climbs and sprint points.
“I’m expecting a strong race from Torstein Træen,” added Božic. “He recently returned to racing in Frankfurt and showed good form.”
Bauhaus, Bruttomesso, Mohoric, Wright, Van Mechelen, Van der Meulen, and Tu will line up for the 41st Tro-Bro Léon (1.Pro), one of the most unique one-day races on the calendar, famous for its gravel sectors known as ‘ribinou’.
Mohoric, the 2023 UCI Gravel World Champion, is one of the standout riders in a race that has become a cult classic since its inception in 1984. This year’s edition features 29 gravel sectors, totalling 34.3km, and includes new sectors such as the Leuré Braz ribin (700m) and the Roudoulevry (2.2km), which returns to the course after being converted into a bike path.
“Tro-Bro Léon is one of the most distinctive and challenging races in France,” said Božic. The gravel, the atmosphere, and the unpredictability make it similar to Paris-Roubaix. Mohoric and Wright are ideally suited to this race. It’s our first time competing here as a team, and we’re eager to be competitive and go for a top result.”
With four races across demanding terrain and varied profiles, Bahrain Victorious aims to gain valuable experience, develop young talent, and compete for strong results in their debut campaign across Bretagne.
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