I have dug out some useful threads here and some detail from 2019 which some may find useful.
2015 telling 2019 self
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=92923.0Registration
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=110768.011 Feb 2019: “Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer que 850 places supplémentaires seront ouvertes pour le PBP2019.
We are pleased to announce that 850 extra slots will be available for PBP 2019.” Hope for 200ers?
Mid Feb
"To allow more riders to enter PBP'19, we modified the 80h starts. There will be only 5 starts instead of 7, from 04:00pm
to 05:00pm. By doing so, we will have to more starts for 90h and all start times will put backward by 30 minutes.
We are expecting early starters to ride at least to Carhaix for their first stop, if possible Brest and then Fougeres
or Villaine on the way back. Otherwise, Loudeac will be a mess despite the extra accommodation that we are implementing."
"All the places will go to those 'pre-registering'. But further to "There may be further spaces made available later on",
it's worth noting that those 'freed up' places will become available at 2300BST on 19 Jun. This is the key date
for the 'chancer' diary, having already ridden 2,3 and 400 BRMs and with a 600 entered to be ridden that weekend."
And by 10 Apr 2019, every start slot had gone to pre-registrants (as I predicted back in mid Feb 2019). BUT then (as others have said in other threads) a good chunk of pre-registrants don't then register (for whatever reason) by the deadline: and suddenly starts become available PROVIDED you have ridden 3 of your 4 BRMs of the SR.
As an aside: This year I'll be one of those chancers who did not ride a 200 BRM in 2022 but will be completing an SR 'just in case'.
2023 Rules Article 3: The number of starters will be limited to 8000. 2500 slots with be reserved for candidates of French nationality.
Start time shenanigans
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=108477.0Pace planning
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=111412.0Damon/ESL's archives
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=109806.0Oppy:
https://www.audax.org.au/public/paris-brest-paris/pbp-oppy-wins