The 251-kilometre (156 mi) race started and ended in Plouay, featuring a hilly and undulating course with 4,036 metres (13,241 ft) of elevation gain.[4] The first half of the race saw riders head west out of Ploauy and ride through Scaër on the way to Douarnenez along the Atlantic coast. Once there, the course turned back east towards Ploauy and once again passed through Scaër to form a rough figure eight. On the way back to Ploauy after passing through Scaër for the second time, riders ascended Saoutalarin, the race's only gravel climb. The race concluded with a 13.68-kilometre (8.50 mi) finishing circuit in and around Ploauy. The last marked climb, the Bosse Pont-Neuf, crested with 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to go before a slight descent into the final kilometre, with the final 300 metres (980 ft) being slightly uphill to the finish line.[5][6]
Teams
All nineteen UCI WorldTeams and five UCI ProTeams made up the twenty-four teams that participated in the race. Of these teams, only four did not field a full squad of seven riders. EF Education–Nippo, Movistar Team, and Team BikeExchange each raced with six riders. Team Bahrain Victorious originally planned on withdrawing from the race after a COVID-19 case in the team;[7] however, the day before the race, they decided to enter with just five riders.[8] In total, 163 riders started the race, of which only 96 finished.[9]
^"Les actualités Le parcours de la Bretagne Classic 2021" [News > The route of the 2021 Bretagne Classic 2021]. Bretagne Classic Ouest–France (in French). Les 4 Jours CIC de Plouay et Plouay Cyclisme Organisation. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
^"Liste des Partants" [List of Participants] (PDF). Bretagne Classic Ouest–France (in French). Les 4 Jours CIC de Plouay et Plouay Cyclisme Organisation. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
^"Classement de l'épreuve" [Classification of the event] (PDF). Bretagne Classic Ouest–France (in French). Les 4 Jours CIC de Plouay et Plouay Cyclisme Organisation. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.