Description
October 6, 2022
Paris-Bourges 2022 – Gien – Bourges : 198 km
Paris–Bourges is a French road bicycle race. The race originally started in Paris and ran to the town of Bourges in the Région Centre.
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October 6, 2022
Paris-Bourges 2022 – Gien – Bourges : 198 km
Paris–Bourges is a French road bicycle race. The race originally started in Paris and ran to the town of Bourges in the Région Centre. However, in recent year with the length of races shortened it has become impossible to link the two cities and since 1996 the race has started in the town of Gien in the Loiret department which is 130 kilometres (80 mi) south of Paris. The official name of the race is now Paris-Gien-Bourges although it is still referred to as Paris–Bourges on the UCI calendar and throughout much of the media.
Belgian fastman Jasper Philipsen has powered to victory in the Paris-Bourges one-day Classic.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck racer took the 198 kilometre category 1.1 race in a bunch sprint ahead of Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), second again like last year, and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis).
With a front group of around 100 riders still ahead in the last 20 kilometres a bunch sprint seemed almost inevitable.
Groupama-FDJ and then Lotto Soudal kept the pace relentlessly high, and after Démare had opened up his sprint, Philipsen soared past for the victory.
How it unfolded
With hindsight, a powerful attack by soon-to-retire Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal) with around 40 kilometres to go was possibly the one moment when the race, held on a near-flat course in warm autumn sunshine, could have ended in anything but a bunch sprint.
But Gilbert’s move was quickly flattened after Groupama-FDJ clamped down his attack, at which point Lotto Soudal visibly moved to their plan ‘A’ as Gilbert’s teammate Victor Campanaerts laid down a searing pace on the front.
Working almost single-handedly as the peloton roared through a number of tiny villages on broad-well surfaced roads – ‘ca va tres vite [it’s very fast]’ as the race commentator observed on several occasions – former Hour Record holder Campanaerts maintained such a high speed it was impossible for any breaks to go clear.
TotalEnergies, Cofidis and Groupama-FDJ also tried to lend a hand. And as the 100 strong front group neared the finish in Bourges their combined effort on broad, dead-straight ‘A’ roads continued to ensure that the peloton stayed together.
After a short dash down a narrow lane and over a river bridge, when the peloton then powered onto the wide 500-metre finishing straight set on the Boulevard de la
Republique avenue, Groupama-FDJ were best placed. But even as Coquard came up to Démare’s shoulder on his right, Philipsen was blasting past close to the Frenchman’s left, claiming the win by a good bike’s length just fractions of second later.
A winner two weeks ago of the Omloop van het Houtland Philipsen’s latest victory is his second in a fortnight and his ninth in a remarkable season. Its highlights were two stage wins for the Belgian sprinter in the Tour de France, including the last of the race on the Champs-Elysées.
And after taking victories in the early season UAE Tour, Philipsen is ending his season with his arms aloft, too.
Results :
 south of Paris. The official name of the race is now Paris-Gien-Bourges although it is still referred to as Paris–Bourges on the UCI calendar and throughout much of the media.
Belgian fastman Jasper Philipsen has powered to victory in the Paris-Bourges one-day Classic.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck racer took the 198 kilometre category 1.1 race in a bunch sprint ahead of Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), second again like last year, and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis).
With a front group of around 100 riders still ahead in the last 20 kilometres a bunch sprint seemed almost inevitable.
Groupama-FDJ and then Lotto Soudal kept the pace relentlessly high, and after Démare had opened up his sprint, Philipsen soared past for the victory.
How it unfolded
With hindsight, a powerful attack by soon-to-retire Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal) with around 40 kilometres to go was possibly the one moment when the race, held on a near-flat course in warm autumn sunshine, could have ended in anything but a bunch sprint.
But Gilbert’s move was quickly flattened after Groupama-FDJ clamped down his attack, at which point Lotto Soudal visibly moved to their plan ‘A’ as Gilbert's teammate Victor Campanaerts laid down a searing pace on the front.
Working almost single-handedly as the peloton roared through a number of tiny villages on broad-well surfaced roads - ‘ca va tres vite [it’s very fast]’ as the race commentator observed on several occasions - former Hour Record holder Campanaerts maintained such a high speed it was impossible for any breaks to go clear.
TotalEnergies, Cofidis and Groupama-FDJ also tried to lend a hand. And as the 100 strong front group neared the finish in Bourges their combined effort on broad, dead-straight ‘A’ roads continued to ensure that the peloton stayed together.
After a short dash down a narrow lane and over a river bridge, when the peloton then powered onto the wide 500-metre finishing straight set on the Boulevard de la
Republique avenue, Groupama-FDJ were best placed. But even as Coquard came up to Démare’s shoulder on his right, Philipsen was blasting past close to the Frenchman's left, claiming the win by a good bike’s length just fractions of second later.
A winner two weeks ago of the Omloop van het Houtland Philipsen’s latest victory is his second in a fortnight and his ninth in a remarkable season. Its highlights were two stage wins for the Belgian sprinter in the Tour de France, including the last of the race on the Champs-Elysées.
And after taking victories in the early season UAE Tour, Philipsen is ending his season with his arms aloft, too.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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