Paris-Tours 2019 [LAST 20 KM]

October 13, 2019

Paris-Tours 2019 – Chartres – Tours : 217 km

Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200 m, at Le Gault-du-Perche. It is known as a “Sprinters’ Classic” because it frequently ends in a bunch sprint at the finish, in Tours. For several decades the race arrived on the 2.7 km long Avenue de Grammont, one of cycling’s best-known finishing straits, particularly renowned among sprinters. Since 2011 the finish was moved to a different location because a new tram line was built on the Avenue de Grammont.

Jelle Wallays (Lotto Soudal) won Paris-Tours for the second time after a solo effort of 52 kilometres across the gravel sectors and short hills that punctuated the finale of the season-ending Classic.

Five years ago, Wallays defeated Thomas Voeckler in a two-up sprint on the Avenue de Grammont, but this time he could savour his victory, as he freewheeled home with half a minute to spare on chasers Niki Terpstra (Total-Direct Energie) and Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale). Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) had to settle for fourth after attempting to bridge across in the final kilometre.

A block headwind had made for a slow start to proceedings, but the peloton split into echelons when it turned into bracing crosswinds inside the final 90km. There was a regrouping of sorts before the race hit the so-called chemins de vigne and hills in the final part of the race, but the general level of fatigue – allied to the spate of punctures on the dirt roads – meant that no team had the numbers to control matters in the finale.

Wallays correctly reasoned that it was best to race from the front, and he accelerated clear of a reduced peloton on the first gravel sector, the Chemin de Vigne de la Grosse Pierre, just before a crash would split that group.

At that point, the Belgian was in pursuit of the lone leader – and defending champion – Søren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) but the Dane fell victim to a puncture just as Wallays was about to catch him with 42km to go. Rather than wait for company, Wallays opted to press on alone, and he quickly established a lead of a minute over a chasing group dominated by Groupama-FDJ, who had both Démare and Stefan Küng well positioned throughout.

At first, men like Naesen and Terpstra were content to let Groupama-FDJ shoulder the bulk of responsibility for the pursuit of Wallays, but when a series punctures on the gravel sectors gradually shore Démare of his teammates, the burden needed to be spread across the entirety of the group.

By then, as the terrain and the intense racing took its toll, few riders were willing to commit fully to the chase. The stop-start nature of the pursuit thus helped Wallays’ cause, but the Belgian was full value for his victory. He showed no signs of weakness on the nine gravel sectors in the finale, and made light work of most of the climbs, too.

Only Tony Gallopin’s acceleration on the Côte de la Rochere with 28km to go made any inroads into Wallays’ buffer. The Frenchman brought his teammate Naesen and Groupama’s Démare and Küng with him over the top, but their counter-attack petered out almost as quickly as it began, and Wallays’ lead settled again at more than a minute, as his teammate Nikolas Maes helped to disrupt what little rhythm remained in the chasing group.

Wallays came off the final gravel sector with 10km to go carrying a lead of 1:20 over an increasingly fractious chasing group, which had since lost Küng to a puncture. The general lack of momentum, meanwhile, was illustrated by the way Terpstra managed to chase back on after a slow wheel change and Lars Bak (Dimension Data), in his final race as a professional, succeeded in bridging back up having been seemingly irretrievably distanced a few kilometres earlier.

Terpstra and a tiring Naesen did manage to extricate themselves from the unwieldy chasing group on the run-in to Tours, but they only began to claw back seconds on Wallays in the final 2 kilometres, when victory was already long since assured.

Wallays’ celebrations lasted the length of the Avenue de Grammont, as he claimed his second Paris-Tours win at professional level, and his third in total, having landed the under-23 race in 2010. In 2014, Paris-Tours was still, nominally at least, a Classic for sprinters, but the complexion of the race altered dramatically with the introduction of the Chemins de vigne last year.

“It’s totally different now we have the off-road section. The first time I won was with Thomas Voeckler and that was as part of the early break and with a different wind direction, a tailwind. Today it was completely headwind, so was slow in the beginning but then the wind turned a bit and that made some echelons and that made the race harder,” said Wallays.

“I wanted to make a little gap with a little group but suddenly I was alone. I got to [Søren Kragh] Andersen but then he got a flat, so I needed to do it alone, but I had a good feeling from the beginning. I was focused on this race and I gave it my all.”

How it unfolded

The peloton was flagged away from Chartres into a block headwind and despite some early aggression from Alex Dowsett (Katusha-Alpecin), it took some time for a break to form. Andreas Stokbro (Riwal Readynez Cycling Team), Adam De Vos (Rally-UHC), Mathijs Paasschens (Wallonie-Bruxelles) Kenny Molly (Wallonie-Bruxelles), Tony Hurel (St. Michel-Auber93), Tom Dernies (Natura4Ever-Roubaix Lille Métropole) and Samuel Leroux (Natura4Ever-Roubaix Lille Métropole) eventually amassed a lead of 4 minutes on the peloton, but their move was swept up when the peloton splintered into echelons in the crosswinds with 90km remaining.

The race split into three distinct groups at that point, with Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) among those distanced, and it looked for a long period as though the front echelon of 30 riders – containing all of the pre-race favourites –would go all the way to the finish. Instead, the front group doubled in size ahead of the gravel and hills in the finale, though by then, Søren Kragh Andersen and Boy van Poppel (Roompot-Charles) had forged clear.

Andersen swiftly dropped Van Poppel on the first climb with 53km to go, but his subsequent puncture saw his challenge unravel. As he stood on the roadside getting his wheel changed, Wallays bounded past, 44km from home but seemingly undeterred by the distance left to run.

Later, Lars Bak would bring the curtain down on his professional career by attacking in pursuit of Wallays on the final climb of the Côte de Rochecorbon. He would be clawed back over the other side, but raging against the dying of the light was a victory in itself. On crossing the finish line in 7th place, the Dane punched the air, though the top of the podium belonged to Wallays.

“I had a difficult season because something always happened. I crashed early in the year and lost three teeth,” Wallays said. “I didn’t make the selection for the Tour de France and then I got sick at the Vuelta, so it was good to end the season like this.

Results :
1 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 5:34:20
2 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Total Direct Energie 0:00:29
3 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2r la Mondiale 0:00:30
4 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-Fdj 0:00:36
5 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:00:49
6 Aime De Gendt (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team
7 Lars Bak Ytting (Den) Team Dimension Data 0:00:51
8 Bert De Backer (Bel) Vital Concept-b&b Hotels 0:00:53
9 Kevyn Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
10 Julien Vermote (Bel) Team Dimension Data
11 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
12 Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:00:55
13 Stefan Kung (Swi) Groupama-Fdj 0:01:14
14 Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:01:20
15 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:01:43
16 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team
17 Kevin Le Cunff (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
18 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Team Katusha Alpecin
19 Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
20 Clement Russo (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
21 Rasmus Christian Quaade (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
22 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Ag2r la Mondiale 0:02:31
23 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team 0:04:14
24 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence
25 Aksel Nemmela (Est) Wallonie Bruxelles
26 Sergei Shilov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
27 Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Natura4ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
28 Rui Oliveira (Por) Uae Team Emirates
29 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
30 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Roompot-Charles
31 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-Fdj
32 Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama-Fdj
33 Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data
34 Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb
35 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Groupama-Fdj
36 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
37 Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
38 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:04:21
39 Alexander Konychev (Ita) Dimension Data for Qhubeka Continental Team 0:04:22
40 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:04:34
41 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Team Katusha Alpecin 0:05:01
42 Robin Carpenter (USA) Rally uhc Cycling 0:08:26
43 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
44 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence 0:08:29
45 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
46 Julien Morice (Fra) Vital Concept-b&b Hotels
47 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Vital Concept-b&b Hotels
48 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:10:42
49 Mathias Norsgaard Jørgensen (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
50 Andreas Nielsen (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
51 Alo Jakin (Est) St Michel-Auber 93
52 Tobias March Kongstad (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
53 Clement Carisey (Fra) Israel Cycling Academy
54 Kenny Molly (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
55 Morne Van Niekerk (RSA) St Michel-Auber 93
56 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence
57 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally uhc Cycling
58 Dylan Bouwmans (Ned) Metec-tkh Continental Cyclingteam p / b Mantel
59 Franklin Six (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
60 Clement Venturini (Fra) Ag2r la Mondiale
61 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:10:47
62 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:16:08
63 Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence
64 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Martin Alexander Salmon (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Adam Blythe (GBr) Lotto Soudal
DNF Kevin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-Fdj
DNF Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Groupama-Fdj
DNF Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Ag2r la Mondiale
DNF Bagdonas Gediminas (Ltu) Ag2r la Mondiale
DNF Julien Duval (Fra) Ag2r la Mondiale
DNF Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Asbjorn Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb
DNF Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team Sunweb
DNF Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb
DNF Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Silvan Dillier (Swi) Ag2r la Mondiale
DNF John Murphy (USA) Rally uhc Cycling
DNF Sergio Rodriguez Reche (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Urko Berrade Fernandez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Ander Barrenetxea Uriarte (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Mamyr Stash (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Stepan Kuriyanov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Alexandr Kulikovskiy (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Emil Nygaard Vinjebo (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
DNF Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally uhc Cycling
DNF Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
DNF Tyler Magner (USA) Rally uhc Cycling
DNF Adam De Vos (Can) Rally uhc Cycling
DNF Pier Andre Cote (Can) Rally uhc Cycling
DNF Nick Van der Lijke (Ned) Roompot-Charles
DNF Justin Timmermans (Ned) Roompot-Charles
DNF Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot-Charles
DNF Vladislav Kulikov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Juan Antonio Lopez-cozar Jaimez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Mikel Aristi Gardoki (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Igor Boev (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Piet Allegaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Thibault Guernalec (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Rory Sutherland (Aus) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Nicolas Dalla Valle (Ita) Tirol ktm Cycling Team
DNF Tony Hurel (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
DNF Fabien Grellier (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Nicolas Baldo (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
DNF Christophe Masson (Fra) Natura4ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNF Samuel Leroux (Fra) Natura4ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNF Pierre Idjouadiene (Fra) Natura4ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNF Tom Dernies (Bel) Natura4ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNF Pierre Barbier (Fra) Natura4ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNF Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
DNF Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Roompot-Charles
DNF Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vital Concept-b&b Hotels
DNF Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Vital Concept-b&b Hotels
DNF Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Arjen Livyns (Bel) Roompot-Charles
DNF Harry Tanfield (GBr) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNF Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNF Alex Dowsett (GBr) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNF Jens Debusschere (Bel) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNF Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Nicolai Philip Brochner Nielsen (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
DNF Kevin Reza (Fra) Vital Concept-b&b Hotels
DNF Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Dimension Data
DNF Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Dimension Data
DNF Tom Bohli (Swi) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Lucas Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
DNF Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence
DNF Alexis Guerin (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence
DNF Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence
DNF Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Conor Dunne (Irl) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Rudy Barbier (Fra) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Théo Delacroix (Fra) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team
DNF Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNS Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Natura4ever-Roubaix-Lille Metropole
DNS Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNS Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNS Adrien Garel (Fra) Vital Concept-b&b Hotels