Davis looking forward to Vuelta start and Worlds after missed Tour

Allan Davis (Quick Step) is confident of his form as he heads into the Grand Prix Ouest-France on Sunday in Plouay, a race at which he finished fourth in its previous edition.

Last year, while racing for Mitsubishi-Jartarzi, Davis won the bunch sprint behind a three-man breakaway in Plouay. This year, Davis said he was relatively fresh after having missed the Tour and has confidence that given the right conditions he can perform strongly once again.

"My condition’s quite [good]," he told Cyclingnews before the start. "I’ve raced well here in the past. It’s a bit of a lottery this race, you can play every card but there’s only one that’s going to pay off. Whether it’s an attacking move at the end or it’s going to be decided by a bunch of 30 to 40 guys.

"I'm definitely going to have a go and we’ll see what happens," said Davis.

Of all the riders forced to miss last month’s Tour de France, Quick Step’s Davis caught one of the toughest breaks. He was sidelined at the very last minute by the late reprieve of Belgian champion Tom Boonen. The fact that the Paris-Roubaix winner’s best placing on any stage at the Tour was twelfth in the team time trial only serving to rub salt into the wounds.

Having missed the Giro and the Tour, Davis will line up next weekend at the Vuelta a España for the final - though his first - Grand Tour of the year. He hopes that results in Spain will go his way and earn him a place in the Australian team for the World championships road race in Mendrisio, Switzerland. "I’m straight to the Vuelta from here and then hopefully the Worlds and Paris-Tours."

Despite being a sprinter, the compact Australian feels that, in the right circumstances, the course in Switzerland could suit him. "[We] went round [the Worlds course] earlier in the year. It’s going to be tough. I’ll have to be in super condition to do well there, but like I said I’m feeling good, I’ve got a lot of results on the board this year [including fourth in last weekend’s Vattenfall Cyclassics – ed.] and I’ve got a good race programme coming up, so I’ll give it a go."