Paris-Tours 2018 [FULL RACE]

October 07, 2018

Paris-Tours 2018 – Chartres – Tours : 214,5 km

Sunday’s Paris-Tours may see a new ‘style’ of winner as the so-called ‘sprinters’ Classic’ is brought bang up to date with the current gravel-riding craze thanks to the inclusion of 12.5 kilometres’ worth of tracks that wind their way through picturesque vineyards inside the final 60 kilometres of the French one-day race. Paris-Tours is famously one of the few major races that were never won by Belgium’s Eddy Merckx, and 1972 Paris-Tours winner Noël Vantyghem once joked that between him and his compatriot Merckx, they’d won all the Classics. It’s a notoriously fast race, but riders hoping to finish their seasons with a flurry are going to find their average speeds knocked down a good ‘kph’ or two when the race hits the newly included gravel roads with 60km to go, although the total distance has been brought down from last year’s 234km to 211km this year to compensate for the additional difficulties.

Søren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) won a revamped edition of Paris-Tours, triumphing with a late attack from an elite group after the seven hills and nine gravel sectors that made up the new finale.

On the famous Avenue de Grammont, Niki Terpstra (Quick Step Floors) beat Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale) in the sprint for second place 25 seconds later. The pair had been part of the elite trio that emerged in the final 30km.

After a fast start, it was a hectic race in the final 50km as the peloton split apart on the gravel roads and various groups went up the road. First Kragh Andersen, and then Terpstra went away with 30km to race, before Cosnefroy soloed across soon after.

Despite the best efforts of a strong chase group, containing Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale) and Sep Vanmarcke (EF-Drapac) it became clear they would contest the podium positions, and then Kragh Andersen went for glory 10km out.

“I didn’t really believe that this was possible,” Kragh Andersen said after the finish. “I had some tough weeks after the Tour de France, but I was focused today and I really wanted it so i’m super happy with the outcome.

“It was really an awesome parcours – I really liked it. Some guys say it’s dangerous but you also have to adapt. I loved it. I can almost not believe it but yeah it was the first classic win for me.

“I could only enjoy it when I was 100 metres from the line. It was a super hard last 10km but it was worth it.”

How it unfolded

It was all change at Paris-Tours this year as one of the oldest races on the calendar received an overhaul. For the most part, the route remained fast and flat, heading south from Chartres towards Tours, but the finale was revamped.

Rather than the traditional Côtes de Crochu, Beau Soleil and l’Epan to test the sprinters and provide a springboard for late attacks, the final 60km twisted through vineyards, nine gravel path sectors and up seven hills. The traditional Avenue de Grammont finish would remain, but chances for sprinters at the ‘Sprinter’s Classic’ were all but wiped out.

In the early kilometres, a six-man breakaway got up the road. Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Énergie) was there in his final pro race. Joining the Frenchman were Bernhard Eisel (Dimension Data), Thibault Guernalec (Fortuneo-Samsic), Dries de Bondt (Veranda’s Willems-Crelan), Brian Van Goethem (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij) and Emiel Vermeulen (Roubaix Lille Métropole).

The six men had a six-minute advantage at one point, but after a fast first two hours, during which the average speed was 48.5km/h, the gap was under two minutes. As the peloton briefly split going through the feed zone, Alex Dowsett (Katusha-Alpecin), Tom Devriendt (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Johan Le Bon (Vital Concept) got away to join up with the breakaway, which was only a minute up the road.

By the time the nine-man break reached the first climb of the day, their advantage was back up to two minutes with 60km to race. Hitting the first gravel sector 10km later, the gap was down to 10 seconds.

With the pace high at the front, it was no surprise to see the peloton split into many different groups on the gravel. Up front, the Belgians De Bondt and Devriendt were the last men standing from the break but they were soon caught.

As punctures hit in the peloton, Kragh Andersen and Terpstra emerged as an elite lead duo, having briefly been up front in a six-man group a few kilometres earlier. Cosnefroy would soon make it a lead trio.

Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale), Sep Vanmarcke (EF-Drapac) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) set off in pursuit heading into the final 20km, with the chasing trio some 30 seconds back down the road.

The chase group couldn’t close that gap, however. Kragh Andersen made his move with 10km to go, with no reaction from his companions. The Dane quickly pulled out a 20-second gap, leaving Terpstra and Cosnefroy to fight over the remaining podium places on the run-in.

Results :
1 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb 4:37:55
2 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick – Step Floors 0:00:25
3 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
4 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:01:14
5 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama – Fdj
6 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
7 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
8 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
9 Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij 0:01:24
10 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
11 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
12 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:28
13 José Gonçalves (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin
14 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama – Fdj 0:01:55
15 Damien Touze (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
16 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:01:57
17 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo 0:02:12
18 Jhonnatan Narvaez (Ecu) Quick – Step Floors 0:02:14
19 Silvan Dillier (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:02:25
20 Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Vital Concept Cycling Club
21 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
22 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
23 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
24 Clement Venturini (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:02:26
25 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
26 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
27 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:04:02
28 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick – Step Floors
29 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
30 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
31 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Groupama – Fdj
32 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Cycling Academy
33 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
34 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data
35 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
36 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
37 Patrick Müller (Swi) Vital Concept Cycling Club
38 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie
39 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
40 Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence Ktm
41 Kevin Le Cunff (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
42 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
43 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
44 Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Fortuneo – Samsic
45 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
46 Alo Jakin (Est) St Michel – Auber 93
47 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Dimension Data
48 Lars Bak Ytting (Den) Lotto Soudal 0:07:19
49 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
50 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
51 Bert De Backer (Bel) Vital Concept Cycling Club
52 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale 0:07:21
53 Julien Vermote (Bel) Team Dimension Data 0:08:52
54 Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
55 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij 0:10:16
56 Huub Duijn (Ned) Veranda’s Willems – Crelan 0:10:45
57 Jan Willem Van Schip (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij 0:10:56
58 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Groupama – Fdj 0:12:13
59 Maxime Farazijn (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
60 Mickael Delage (Fra) Groupama – Fdj
61 Milan Menten (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
62 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club
63 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
64 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
65 Luuc Bugter (Ned) Delta Cycling Rotterdam
66 Morgan Kneisky (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
67 Connor Swift (GBr) Madison Genesis
68 August Jensen (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy
69 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
70 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda’s Willems – Crelan
71 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
72 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
73 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
74 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
75 Senne Leysen (Bel) Veranda’s Willems – Crelan
76 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb
77 Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie
78 Julius Van Den Berg (Ned) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
79 Daniel Mclay (GBr) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
80 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
81 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama – Fdj
82 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick – Step Floors
83 Johan Le Bon (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club
84 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Fortuneo – Samsic
85 Julien Duval (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
86 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
87 Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb
88 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
89 Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:20:32
90 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
91 Pierre Idjouadiene (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
92 Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia (Col) Team Katusha Alpecin
93 Omer Goldsteiin (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy
94 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Lokosphinx
95 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Team Dimension Data
96 Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Team Dimension Data
97 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
98 Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence Ktm
99 Thibault Guernalec (Fra) Team Fortuneo – Samsic
100 Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Team Fortuneo – Samsic
101 Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Fortuneo – Samsic
102 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
103 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
104 Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
DNF Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Pierre Barbier (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Camille Thominet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
DNF Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
DNF Romain Feillu (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
DNF Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
DNF Aritz Bagues Kalparsoro (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
DNF Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Sondre Enger (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Jeremy Cabot (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
DNF Steven Tronet (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Max Kanter (Ger) Development Team Sunweb
DNF Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Sunweb
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Clement Russo (Fra) Team Fortuneo – Samsic
DNF Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Aitor Gonzalez Prieto (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
DNF Clément Carisey (Fra) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Gotzon Udondo Santamaria (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
DNF Julien El Fares (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence Ktm
DNF Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country – Murias
DNF Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
DNF Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama – Fdj
DNF Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Dimension Data
DNF Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNF Alex Dowsett (GBr) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNF Alexis Guerin (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence Ktm
DNF Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Veranda’s Willems – Crelan
DNF Amael Moinard (Fra) Team Fortuneo – Samsic
DNF Martijn Budding (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Stijn Steels (Bel) Veranda’s Willems – Crelan
DNF Logan Owen (USA) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
DNF Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club
DNF Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Delko Marseille Provence Ktm
DNF Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence Ktm
DNF Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Trevigiani Phonix – Hemus 1896
DNF Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Piet Allegaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club
DNF Stijn Devolder (Bel) Veranda’s Willems – Crelan
DNS Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Ago – Aqua Service
DNS Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNS Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNS Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNS Kevyn Ista (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNS Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNS Lukas Spengler (Swi) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic