Lara Gillespie, Ireland's breakthrough rider on the pro scene in Europe this year, will be back in the peloton this weekend after three months away from road racing.
She will be in action in France, where there is a host of Irish interest, with Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) also down to take on the men's event, among other Irish riders.
UAE Team ADQ World Tour rider Gillespie last pinned on numbers in a road race back in June, when she competed in the National Road Championships in Limerick. After that event, where she took bronze, track duties called for the Wicklow rider as she was part of the Irish team for the Olympics.
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However, though the track took up a chunk of her times mid season, she was recently crowned winner of the Lotto Cycling Cup - after the early lead she took prove insurmountable for the others even though Gillespie was absent from the final round.
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Gillespie will line-up in Grand Prix International d'Isbergues (1.1) on Sunday, when the 131.6km race could be one for the Irish rider. While there are some climbs along the way - six to be precise - they are relatively modest and the last of them comes a long way before the finish.
There is a total 1.100 metres of elevation gain, something that Gillespie will be able to cope with once she finds he road legs after her track focus and subsequent break from competition. The final 30km of the race are flat.
In the men's event, also on Sunday, Bennett will be joined by Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93) and Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team). The men's race is 198.8km, with 1,400m of elevation gain, and may suit the fast men.
