Paris–Tours 2020 [FULL RACE]

October 11, 2020

Paris–Tours 2020 – Chartres – Tours : 213 km

Paris-Tours is a fall classic on a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys. It’s known as a “Sprinters’ Classic” because it frequently ends in a bunch sprint at the finish in Tours..

Casper Pedersen (Team Sunweb) took victory at Paris-Tours, beating Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale) in a two-up sprint on the Avenue de Grammont after the two emerged as the strongest men on the gravel roads through the vineyards in the race finale.

Pedersen’s teammate Joris Nieuwenhuis clinched a 1-3 for the team, outsprinting the chase group 30 seconds later, with Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) taking fourth.

The Dane’s victory came after race favourite and former winner Søren Kragh Andersen crashed out of contention just as the hills and gravel sections started with 50km to go. Pedersen managed to stick with Cosnefroy as the Frenchman led a series of reckonings at the front of the race, riding the final 30km together despite a relatively small gap back to the chase group.

Each rider enjoyed the presence of a teammate to disrupt the chase, though. A 25-second gap at the end of the hills and gravel sections would hold to Tours as Nieuwenhuis and Romain Bardet sat on.

Heading into the final kilometre and that famous finish Cosnefroy enjoyed a lead-out from Pedersen but couldn’t convert it into a victory. As was the case at La Flèche Wallonne and Brabantse Pijl, it would be another case of so near yet so far for the AG2R La Mondiale man as Pedersen crossed the line with his arms aloft.

“It’s a really big result for me. I’m super happy,” Pedersen said after the race. “I was dreaming about doing a good result here because I felt like I came out with a really good shape from the Tour.

“We knew that when a strong group goes early on the gravel sections it can be really dangerous. I followed Bardet when he opened up the race and then we got away. [Team leader] Søren Kragh Andersen was in a crash just before that first attack so he wasn’t in the front right there.

“I’ve sprinted against [Cosnefroy] a few times before at under-23 level. Normally he likes the hills more than me and I like the flat more, so normally I have more confidence in the sprint. I was a bit scared of him going away on one of the climbs and I was playing a bit of poker, looking at him like I wasn’t suffering.”

How it unfolded

The race followed the familiar route since the big change to the final in 2018 – a long, largely flat day from Chartres south to Tours punctuated by the short, sharp climbs and gravel roads of the vineyards east of Tours in the final 50km of the race. Formerly a ‘sprinter’s classic’, these hills have proved decisive in determining the race winner in both 2018 and 2019.

The break of the day established themselves in the early kilometres of the race, with six men making the move. Evaldas Šiškevičius (Nippo Delko One Provence) was joined out front by Elmar Reinders (Riwal Securitas), Sergio Martín (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Petr Rikunov (Gazprom-RusVelo), Emiel Vermeulen (Natura4Ever-Roubaix Lille Métropole) and Mikel Aristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi).

The sextet didn’t manage to build a giant gap despite the race’s 213km length as AG2R La Mondiale and Team Sunweb were among the teams working at the front of the peloton to limit the gap for their contenders.

3:30 was the most they could manage, kept on a tight leash which only got tighter as the peloton split to three pieces in the crosswinds midway through the day. The situation settled down quickly afterwards, though, with the gap going back up to three minutes before being gradually eroded as the riders neared the decisive hills and dirt roads through the vineyards of the final 50km.

Disaster struck for Sunweb with 50km to go as 2018 winner Søren Kragh Andersen was caught up in a crash in the peloton. He took some time to get going again but ahead, the pace was already high at such a vital point of the race.

Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) set the pace on the Côte de Goquene, the first of seven hills and nine gravel paths in the race final. He was setting up an attack for his teammate, the in-form Cosnefroy who duly led the way at the front as the peloton split to pieces.

The Frenchman formed part of an elite front group after the dust had settled on the early gravel sections, joined in the lead by Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ), Alexander Krieger (Alpecin-Fenix), Quentin Pacher (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) and Casper Pedersen (Team Sunweb).

Up front, the break was fracturing, too, with Vermeulen and Reinders the last men standing before being caught with 35km to run. Cosnefroy would push on again shortly afterwards, shedding all but Pedersen from the head of the race. The duo had 40 seconds on the peloton at the 30km mark, with four – wet – gravel sections and four hills to go.

Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) led the charge behind, leading a group including Bardet, Krieger, Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic) and Joris Nieuwenhuis (Team Sunweb) in pursuit of the two leaders. Despite an advantage in numbers, they chasers only managed to shave 15 seconds off the lead, with Cosnefroy and Pedersen 25 seconds to the good after the final climb having stuck together in co-operation.

Flat roads followed, leading to Tours and the famous Avenue de Grammont. The five men behind struggled to make any headway, though – in part due to Bardet and Nieuwenhuis not having to work – and the two leaders reached Tours with enough time to play cat and mouse.

Pedersen led the way into the final kilometre as he and Cosnefroy toyed with each other. The Dane led out the sprint and launched first. Despite his favourable positioning, Cosnefroy just didn’t have it in the sprint and had to settle for another podium at a one-day race.

Results :
1 Casper Phillip Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb 4:51:44
2 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
3 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:00:30
4 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
5 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
6 Petr Vakoč (Cze) Alpecin – Fenix
7 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
8 August Jensen (Nor) Riwal Readynez 0:02:11
9 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Circus-Wanty Gobert
10 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
11 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Nippo Delko Provence
12 Alexander Krieger (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
13 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Total Direct Energie
14 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Bingoal WB
15 Milan Menten (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:02:16
16 Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
17 Romain Cardis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
18 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:02:18
19 Pier Andre Cote (Can) Rally Cycling
20 Biniam Girmay Hailu (Eri) Nippo Delko Provence
21 Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Natura4Ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
22 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
23 Lindsay De Vylder (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
24 Martijn Budding (Ned) Riwal Readynez
25 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Circus-Wanty Gobert
26 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
27 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
28 Stepan Kuriyanov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
29 Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Bingoal WB
30 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Wb
31 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
32 Romain Combaud (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
33 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:03:50
34 Dusan Rajovic (Srb) Nippo Delko Provence
35 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
36 Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
37 Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
38 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal WB
39 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis
40 Quentin Pacher (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
41 Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Natura4Ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
42 Tobias Mørch Kongstad (Den) Riwal Readynez
43 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
44 Johan Le Bon (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
45 Lucas Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Readynez
46 Mikel Aristi Gardoki (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
47 Diego Lopez Fuentes (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
48 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
49 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Total Direct Energie
50 Tom Dernies (Bel) Natura4Ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole 0:03:55
51 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Riwal Readynez 0:04:00
52 Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Nippo Delko Provence 0:04:02
53 Aime De Gendt (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert 0:04:03
54 Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept 0:06:09
55 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
56 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally Cycling 0:06:28
57 Petr Rikunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
58 Marco Canola (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
59 Sam Brand (GBr) Team Novo Nordisk 0:07:28
60 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
61 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
62 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
63 Emiel Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
64 Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH
65 Dzmitry Zhyhunou (Blr) Euskaltel – Euskadi
66 Alexander Molenaar (Ned)
67 Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
68 Isaac Canton Serrano (Spa) Burgos-BH
69 Alexandar Richardson (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
70 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
71 Niklas Märkl (Ger) Development Team Sunweb
72 Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
73 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
74 Mathias De Witte (Bel) Natura4Ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
75 Maximilien Picoux (Bel) Natura4Ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
76 Donavan Vincent Grondin (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
77 Florian Maitre (Fra) Total Direct Energie
78 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk
79 Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
80 Péter Kusztor (Hun) Team Novo Nordisk
81 Brian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
82 Arvid De Kleijn (Ned) Riwal Readynez
83 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
84 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea-Samsic
85 Kim Magnusson (Swe) Riwal Readynez
86 Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic
87 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
88 Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
89 Torjus Sleen (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
90 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
91 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
92 Maxime Chevalier (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept
93 Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) Cofidis
94 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
95 Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
96 Jordan Levasseur (Fra) Natura4Ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
97 Joel Suter (Swi) Bingoal WB
98 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal WB
99 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93 0:07:34
100 Tony Hurel (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
101 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb 0:09:25
102 Stephen Bassett (USA) Rally Cycling 0:10:10
103 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:10:20
104 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
105 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence 0:12:04
106 Nickolas Zukowsky (Can) Rally Cycling
107 Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:12:59
108 Antoine Raugel (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:13:13
109 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Natura4Ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole 0:15:06
110 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis
111 Alfdan De Decker (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
112 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk
113 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:15:14
114 Adrien Guillonnet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93 0:16:43
115 Leon Heinschke (Ger) Development Team Sunweb 0:18:35
116 Matthew Gibson (GBr) Burgos-BH 0:20:32
117 Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Burgos-BH
118 Vladislav Kulikov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
119 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
120 Jaume Sureda Morey (Spa) Burgos-BH
121 Angel Fuentes Paniego (Spa) Burgos-BH
122 Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
123 Simon Verger (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
124 Louis Louvet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
OTL Mehdi Benhamouda (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
DNF Mikel Alonso Flores (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Rally Cycling
DNF Léo Vincent (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Baptiste Constantin (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
DNF Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Baptiste Bleier (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
DNF Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
DNF Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Imerio Cima (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
DNF Kevyn Ista (Bel) Bingoal WB
DNF Julian Mertens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Jeremy Cabot (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Eduard-Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo Delko Provence
DNF Tom Devriendt (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
DNF Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Natnael Berhane (Eri) Cofidis
DNF Sacha Modolo (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF William Bonnet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Martin Salmon (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Adrien Garel (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
DNS Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert