Paris-Tours 2016 [FULL RACE]

October 09, 2016
Paris-Tours 2016 [FULL RACE] – Dreux – Tours – 252,5

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.

Fernando Gaviria (Etixx-QuickStep) won Paris-Tours with a surprise late attack in the final 500 metres that allowed him to hold off the big-name sprinters and take arguably the most prestigious victory of his young career without waiting for the sprint finish. His victory completed a perfect day for the Etixx-QuickStep team after their victory in the men’s team time trial at the UCI Road World Championships.

“This is the most beautiful win of my career,” he said. “I knew how important and big this race was; I know its history, and this motivated me to get the victory today. It was tough and fast today, but I was fresh in the finale, when I decided to take advantage of a corner which slowed down the peloton before the last straight.”

As the riders jostled for position inside the final kilometre on the famous Avenue de Grammont, Gaviria jumped to his right away from the bunch and surged down the barriers. He quickly got a gap and kept going with his arms on the hoods, as if he was trying to take a lap on the track in an Omnium event.

He nervously looked back but had a sufficient lead that allowed him to ease up before the line, kiss his bracelet in a kind of dedication and celebrate victory with his arms open.

“As soon as I attacked, I went full gas to the line and managed to hold the pack at bay,” he said. “I am very happy and I want to thank the team for the support I got. It was my final race of the year in this kit and this makes the success very special. Also, to get news that the team won the team time trial world title gives me even more satisfaction.”

The Lotto Soudal and Katusha teams failed to close the gap and the other sprinters came too late to catch the Colombian. Arnaud Demare (FDJ) finished second with Jonas Van Genechten (IAM Cycling) third. They were caught in the photographs of Gaviria celebrating but were stunned by the 22-year-old Colombian’s late move.

Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) was in the mix after using his sprint to move up in the final 300 metres but he then eased up before the line finishing sixth, one place ahead of Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis).

252km covered at 47km/h

Race organiser ASO had managed to attract a star-studded field in the last race for the sprinters and world championship contenders. They increased the distance of the 2016 race to 252km and removed many of the hills in the final 20 kilometres to make it the perfect test of form before riders travelled to Doha for next Sunday’s World Championships road race.

Gaviria, Cavendish, Tom Boonen, Caleb Ewan, Sam Bennett, Elia Viviani and Arnaud Démare were all on the start and keen to test their form only a week out from the big final goal of the season.

The weather was warm with a slight tailwind from the start in the Loire valley, making for a fast race and a 47km/h average race speed.

Seven riders bravely formed the early break, with Warren Barguil (Giant-Alpecin), Arnaud Gérard (Fortuneo Vital Concept), Floris Gerts (BMC), Pirmin Lang (IAM Cycling), Kevin Lebreton (Armée de Terre), Brian Van Goethem (Roompot-Orange) and Maarten Wynants (LottoNL-Jumbo) going deep one last time this season.

They opened a gap but the sprinter’s team kept them pegged at three minutes indicating their intentions. They were eventually reeled in with 15km to race.

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) was part of several late attacks as he tested his form after a long day in the saddle. But with a flatter finale, the sprinters were always going to dominate affairs and they did. Another attack by Sergey Lagutin (Katusha) and Bert De Backer (Giant-Alpecin) was caught with seven kilometres to go, as the Cofidis team for Bouhanni, FDJ for Démare and Team Sky for Viviani kept the pace high and marshalled the peloton.

After some late corners and the red kite, Team Sky hit out early, with debutant Owain Doull leading Viviani. However it was far too early for the Italian to open his sprint and so he sat up and the pack reshuffled. Just after, as the pace dipped, Gaviria took his chance, seemingly based on instinct rather than tactics.

Lesser riders would have quickly been swept up, but Gaviria has a track rider’s acceleration and a sprinter’s speed, allowing him to hold off the chasers.

He will lead the Colombian team next Sunday and has suddenly become a dangerous rival for the bigger nations and their team leaders.

“In Doha it’s going to be a completely different story, and the race will be made even more difficult by the heat, but I’m going there confident, relaxed and in good condition,” Gaviria said. “So we’ll see what will happen.”

Results :
1 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step 5:22:03
2 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
3 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) IAM Cycling
4 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
5 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie
6 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data
7 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
8 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
9 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-BikeExchange
10 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
11 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
12 Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
13 Rudy Barbier (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
14 Romain Feillu (Fra) HP-BTP Auber 93
15 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18
16 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data
17 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
18 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) BMC Racing Team
19 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Team Katusha
20 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
21 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
22 Leonardo Fabio Duque (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
23 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
24 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
25 Oliver Naesen (Bel) IAM Cycling
26 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
27 Raymond Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
28 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
29 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
30 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
31 Daniel Mclay (GBr) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
32 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
33 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange
34 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
35 Twan Castelijns (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
36 Etienne Van Empel (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
37 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha
38 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Etixx – Quick-Step
39 Floris Gerfs (Ned) BMC Racing Team
40 Alo Jakin (Est) HP-BTP Auber 93
41 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team
42 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
43 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
44 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
45 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchange
46 Silvio Herklotz (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
47 Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
48 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ
49 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
50 Max Walscheid (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
51 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data
52 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
53 Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ
54 Alexis Bodiot (Fra) Armee de Terre
55 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Armee de Terre
56 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
57 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
58 Anthony Maldonado (Fra) HP-BTP Auber 93
59 Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling
60 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
61 Pierre Gouault (Fra) HP-BTP Auber 93
62 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
63 Etienne Fabre (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
64 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
65 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
66 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
67 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
68 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
69 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
70 Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Den) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
71 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step
72 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie
73 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
74 Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
75 Florent Pereira (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
76 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) HP-BTP Auber 93
77 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
78 Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling
79 Simon Pellaud (Swi) IAM Cycling
80 Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling
81 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team
82 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ
83 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
84 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
85 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
86 Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Team Katusha
87 Felix Pouilly (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
88 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
89 Robert Power (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange
90 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
91 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
92 Jeremy Leveau (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille 0:00:20
93 Yann Guyot (Fra) Armee de Terre
94 Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton 0:00:22
95 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
96 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
97 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team
98 Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
99 Martin Laas (Est) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
100 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
101 Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
102 Julien Duval (Fra) Armee de Terre
103 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
104 Loic Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
105 Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
106 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
107 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ
108 Matt Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data
109 Flavien Dassonville (Fra) HP-BTP Auber 93
110 Jimmy Raibaud (Fra) Armee de Terre
111 François Bidard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
112 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:00:27
113 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
114 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:33
115 Boris Vallee (Bel) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
116 Aimé Degendt (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:00:38
117 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky 0:00:44
118 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:00:50
119 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
120 Maxime Renault (Fra) HP-BTP Auber 93 0:00:54
121 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:00:56
122 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
123 Thomas Vaubourzeix (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
124 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
125 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
126 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
127 Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
128 Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Orica-BikeExchange
129 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
130 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data
131 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange
132 Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data
133 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
134 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ
135 Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
136 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
137 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
138 Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
139 Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
140 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
141 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
142 Romain Guillemois (Fra) Direct Energie
143 Julien Morice (Fra) Direct Energie
144 Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) FDJ
145 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
146 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18
147 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie 0:01:03
148 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
149 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Bora-Argon 18 0:01:38
150 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal 0:01:43
151 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal
152 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
153 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
154 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
155 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Lotto Soudal
156 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
157 Vegard Breen (Nor) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:01:47
158 Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:50
159 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
160 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:01:54
161 Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:02:27
162 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data
163 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
164 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:02:38
165 Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:02:45
166 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky 0:02:49
167 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Bora-Argon 18 0:03:00
168 Pirmin Lang (Swi) IAM Cycling
169 Jens Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:04:37
170 Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:05:30
171 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:05:44
172 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling 0:07:17
173 Thomas Rostollan (Fra) Armee de Terre 0:09:24
174 Kevin Lebreton (Fra) Armee de Terre
175 Nicolas Moncomble (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
176 Alexander Maes (Bel) Team Katusha
177 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 0:09:27
178 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:10:03
DNF Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
DNF Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team
DNF Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Maxim Belkov (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Dmitrii Kozonchuk (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Thibault Ferasse (Fra) Armee de Terre