The region in Brittany stepped in a late host after Nice announced they were cancelling all sport and cultural events following the deadly lorry attack on during Bastille Day celebrations on July 14 left 85 people dead and more than 200 injured.

Plumelec was chosen ahead of rival bids from Britain and italy. 

During the five-day competition, champions will be crowned in both road and time-trial races in the juniors, under-23 and elite men’s and women’s categories with the first title of professional "European champion" also up for grabs. 

At the close of registration, 848 athletes were registered from 41 countries.

Entries for the men's elite road race include four world champions.

They include Slovakia's Peter Sagan, the current world champion. 

The others are Poland's Michal Kwiatkowski, Portugal's Rui Costa and Belgium's Philippe Gilbert.

Another contender will Italy's Fabio Aru, winner of last year's Vuelta a España,as well as talented French riders Tony Gallopin and Julian Alaphilippe.

The Spanish team, meanwhile, will include the 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist Samuel Sanchez, and Leon Sanchez. winner of the road race at last year's European Games in Baku. 

In the women’s events, the top three riders from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last month are all registered. 

The Netherlands' gold medallist Anna Van der Breggen, Sweden's silver medallist Emma Johansson and Italy's bronze medal winner Elisa Longo Borghini are all due to compete. 

The Netherlands' Marianne Vos, winner of the Olympic road race at London 2012 and a seven-time world champion, is also due to compete. 

Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma, the 2015 European under-23 champion, is another notable entrant. 

"These European Championships are a great innovation with the first Road European Championships for professional riders and during the Olympic year," David Lappartient, President of the UEC, said.

In the juniors, one of the men to beat will undoubtedly be the current world champion, Austria's Felix Gall.

The espoirs men’s race also promises to be exciting with the recent winner of the Tour de l’Avenir and home favourite David Gaudu, the runner-up, Edward Ravasi of Italy, and Great Britain's Tao Gheoghegan Hart all competing.

The event is due to be broadcast in more than 60 countries following an agreement signed with the the European Broadcasting Union. 

The full schedule and which TV companies are broadcasting the event can be seen here.