Nowadays, Paris-Tours no longer has the prestige of a top classic, but this autumn race actually deserves it. On the other hand, the route has been regularly changed, which means it may never become a true classic. And yet, it is a race that would be a valuable addition to anyone’s palmarès. WielerFlits looks ahead!
Paris-Tours, with its many gravel sections, is already a demanding race these days, but last year the weather gods added even more challenge. Due to heavy rainfall, the gravel passages were transformed into muddy pools, making the classic resemble an extended cyclocross race. However, the riders were not deterred: they prepared themselves - perhaps reluctantly - for a grueling ordeal.
In the first part of the 213-kilometer race, a breakaway of four formed. The biggest name up front was Edoardo Affini. The strong Italian from Visma | Lease a Bike went on the attack with Spaniard Mikel Retegi (Equipo Kern Pharma), Frenchman Enzo Boullet (CIC U Nantes Atlantique), and Belgian Criel Desal (Bingoal WB). The latter was the first to be caught by the peloton at 107 kilometers from the finish.
With a sprinters’ field to drool over – including Arnaud De Lie, Jasper Philipsen, and Mads Pedersen among the participants – it wasn’t long before control in the peloton was established. Especially Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek were actively working at the front of the main group. But the American formation wasn’t set on a bunch sprint. In rainy France, leader Pedersen – as so often – went all in.
The Dane launched a first attack at 69 kilometers from the finish. While he pressed on without looking back towards the breakaway group, it was time for the first gravel sections. Just over 55 kilometers from the finish, the former world champion joined the trio ahead. However, good cooperation didn’t materialize; the early escapees either didn’t want to or couldn’t keep up. Pedersen saw his lead over the peloton quickly diminish to half a minute.
Meanwhile, in the peloton, several accelerations caused it to thin out further. Yet, the gap to the leaders – by now only Pedersen and Affini remained upfront – hovered above half a minute for a long time. Christophe Laporte saw this manageable gap as an opportunity to bridge across. The Frenchman brought along Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) and together they quickly closed the gap to their teammates.
It turned into a decisive move for Laporte and Vacek, as 20 kilometers from the finish, after Affini, Pedersen also dropped off. The chase in the peloton came too late, so it would come down to a sprint between the Czech and the Frenchman in the streets of Tours. Local rider Laporte launched first, dominated his fellow attacker, and clinched his first victory in a sometimes frustrating season at the last moment.
The outlined route is almost a blueprint of last year’s course. Before the start of Paris-Tours, the riders gather in… Chartres. The classic has long since stopped starting in Paris itself. Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines – a town between Paris and Orléans – was for years the place where it all began. About ten years ago, the organization decided to move the start to the much larger Chartres, which boasts a historic city center and one of the most famous cathedrals in France.
In 2018, the race also aimed to shed its label as a ‘sprinter’s race’ by adding unpaved sections. These were found on off-road roads cutting through the vineyards east of Tours, mostly located on challenging slopes. Thus, Paris-Tours followed the popular example set by races like Strade Bianche, Tro-Bro Léon, Dwars door het Hageland, and Schaal Sels.
This change displeased many insiders. In fact, after the first off-road edition in 2018, then Quick-Step manager Patrick Lefevere was so furious about the alteration that he hasn’t sent a team to this classic since. Some others also disapprove of the course change. Nevertheless, the organization has succeeded in its goal: since 2018, Paris-Tours has ended in a traditional sprint only once.
Regarding the first 160 of nearly 212 kilometers, we can be brief. Via places like Châteaudun, Vendôme, Herbault, and Amboise, the route heads mainly south towards Tours. The roads are relatively flat and there aren’t many obstacles. Yet, the wind will likely play a role on some open stretches. The finale begins east of Amboise. There the Côte de Limeray (1 km at 2.8%) and the Pocé-sur-Cisse, the first two gravel sections, await.
Next comes the Côte Goguenne at 50 kilometers from the finish, immediately followed by the unpaved lane La Grosse Pierre (500 meters). Shortly after, there’s another gravel stretch of half a kilometer. What follows is a series of leg-breakers including the Côte de Chançay (a gravel path of 2.1 kilometers), Côte de la Vallée du Vau (550 meters unpaved), the sections of Noizay and Épinettes, and the Côte de la Rochère. After the Rochère, the gravel thrill is not over yet. After the unpaved paths of Épinettes and Vernou, they climb the Côte de la Vallée Chartier.
Those with enough strength left here can push on after the summit on a 1.6-kilometer unpaved stretch (Peu Morier). There are still about twenty kilometers to go, but any breakaway rider should not count their chances just yet. The finale includes the Côte de Vouvray, the short gravel section of Rochecorbon, and the Côte de Rochecorbon (500 meters in length) about ten kilometers from the finish.
Afterward, it’s mostly straight on towards the line, which for the first time in living memory is no longer on the wide and well-known Avenue de Grammont. The organization moved the finish to Boulevard Béranger in Tours, hoping to provide the race with even more excitement. The fact that the last climb (Côte de Rochecorbon) is now closer to the finish will likely favor attackers.
Due to its status on the cycling calendar and competition from other races, winning Paris-Tours may no longer be as prestigious as in the days of Eddy Merckx (who strangely never won this race), Roger De Vlaeminck, and Johan Museeuw, but the autumn classic still welcomes a strong field. Twelve WorldTeams will line up for the 119th edition of this renowned one-day race, with top squads like Visma | Lease a Bike, UAE Emirates XRG, and INEOS Grenadiers going head to head.
The biggest favorite might not even come from a WorldTeam but from a (currently) ProTeam. His name? Arnaud De Lie. Just look at his results from recent months, and even the biggest critics will be convinced. In six weeks, the Lotto leader won stages and the overall at the Renewi Tour, the Bretagne Classic, Grand Prix de Wallonie, SUPER 8 Classic, and Paris-Chauny. Impressive! And you can bet De Lie is not satisfied yet: he is still chasing that icing on a very tasty cake.
At Paris-Tours, the 23-year-old powerful sprinter hopes to put the finishing touches on his form. And why not? With his big engine, explosiveness, race insight, toughness, and razor-sharp sprint, he has the qualities to shine in this semi-gravel race. In his three previous participations, De Lie was not close to victory yet. In fact, in his first appearances in 2022 and 2023, he didn’t even reach the finish line in Tours. The Walloon, hungry for success, will want to prove he indeed has what it takes to tame this race.
That said, it should be noted that De Lie was ill earlier this week and had to skip Binche-Chimay-Binche. "In consultation with Arnaud, the team decided it was best for him to rest and fully recover. We wish Arnaud a speedy recuperation," his team posted on social media. Has the Lotto rider fully recovered by now? Or is he still a bit under the weather? Hopefully, De Lie can defend his chances to the full.
One of his likely biggest rivals for victory – Christophe Laporte – knows what it takes to win Paris-Tours. The Frenchman has been on the roll of honor since last year. Twelve months ago, the strong sprinter and classics rider was strongest in a rainy and thus heroic edition of the autumn classic. It’s also his last win in the jersey of Visma | Lease a Bike, but for a reason. A stubborn virus forced Laporte to watch from the sidelines for a long time, ruining much of his cycling season.
It was a bitter pill for Laporte, who had to cancel his spring classics and Tour de France, but at the ADAC Cyclassics Hamburg, he made his comeback after 315 (!) days. He has now logged thirteen race days but in his early races aimed mostly at regaining race fitness. Thinking about results was too soon, but lately, Laporte seems to have found his way back up. He was third last Tuesday in Binche-Chimay-Binche. Will we see him shine again in the finale on Sunday?
Someone who has been riding and shaping many finales in recent weeks is Jasper Philipsen. The rocket-fast Belgian from Alpecin-Deceuninck won the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro after his successful Vuelta a España by beating – yes – Arnaud De Lie in a straight sprint duel. The question is whether we can expect a similar scenario in Paris-Tours. With many gravel sections and climbs in the finale, it seems unlikely, though even WielerFlits predictors get it wrong sometimes. Philipsen proved he can survive the tough finale last year, finishing third.
Philipsen then won the sprint of the chasing group (behind leaders Christophe Laporte and Mathias Vacek), beating two XDS Astana riders: Mike Teunissen (4th) and Cees Bol (6th). This Dutch duo is again present for the Kazakh team. In this crucial hunt for UCI points, they will undoubtedly be tasked with finishing as high as possible, but more than a nice placing could be in store. With good legs and a bit of luck, a lot is possible at the end of the season.
In the absence of many classic heavyweights, there’s a good chance a 'surprising' winner emerges. Think of Alexis Renard. The 26-year-old Frenchman from Cofidis is not a frequent winner (he is still searching for his first pro victory), but has excelled for years in these kinds of (autumn) races. He finished fifth last year. And what about his compatriot Anthony Turgis? The experienced rider from TotalEnergies has been a fixture in the classics for years and finished tenth in Tours last year.
Speaking of riders who could suddenly cross the line first: we also consider a strong performance from TotalEnergies’ Alexandre Delettre (already with 18 top-ten placings this year), two-time winner Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Corbin Strong, the retiring Tom Van Asbroeck, former winner Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech), Nils Eekhoff (Picnic PostNL), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility), and Carlos Canal (Movistar).
We are also curious whether the 2024 runner-up, Mathias Vacek, still has something left in the legs for this race. The Czech made a strong impression in the early months of the season but has faded somewhat recently. Is the all-rounder from Lidl-Trek now cycling on fumes? Or can he recharge once more to fight for the victory?
Likely the energy will come from his very young teammate Albert Withen Philipsen. The 19-year-old Dane from Lidl-Trek is known as a top talent, and the rookie pro is starting to back that up with results. Last weekend, he was tenth in the highly competitive Giro dell’Emilia, and on Tuesday, he finished second in Tre Valli Varesine behind the currently untouchable Tadej Pogacar. That bodes well for Paris-Tours, where the fast and strong Philipsen is served a very nice route where he can definitely make an impact.
Paris-Tours is now above all a race for hard men who can thrive in long solo attacks that don’t have to end prematurely. We recall the famous efforts of Jacky Durand (2001), Erik Dekker (2004), and, more recently, the solo wins of Jelle Wallays (2014 and 2019). This will surely inspire aggressive riders like Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty), and Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) to throw the hammer down earlier than usual.
We don't expect him to compete for the win, but this year Paris-Tours will also be about Arnaud Démare. One of the best French sprinters in history is saying goodbye to professional cycling. The 34-year-old rider from Arkéa-B&B Hotels will wear a race number one last time on Sunday but will retire from the sport after Paris-Tours.
The man with no less than 97 professional wins has a very special bond with Paris-Tours, having won this autumn classic twice, in 2021 and 2022. Perhaps Démare can shine one last time and make it a hat trick. It would be a fairytale ending, but fairytales do exist, even in cycling.
Last year, riders were battered by bad weather and Paris-Tours felt more like a cyclocross race, but Sunday promises a delightful late summer day. It will stay dry, the sun will have plenty of space to break through, and the temperature will rise to eighteen degrees Celsius in the afternoon. A moderate wind (up to 2 Beaufort) will blow from the northeast.
The 119th edition of Paris-Tours will again be broadcast live by Eurosport 1 and Sporza (Canvas). Online, you can follow the race via HBO Max. See all TV channels and broadcast times in our cycling TV guide.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2024 |  Christophe Laporte |
| 2023 |  Riley Sheehan |
| 2022 | Arnaud Démare |
| 2021 | Arnaud Démare |
| 2020 |  Casper Pedersen |
| 2019 |  Jelle Wallays |
| 2018 | Søren Kragh Andersen |
| 2017 |  Matteo Trentin |
| 2016 |  Fernando Gaviria Rendon |
| 2015 | Matteo Trentin |
photo: Cor Vos
Paris - Tours Elite| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:00:27 | |
| 2 | " | |
| 3 | + 21 | |
| 4 | " | |
| 5 | " | |
| 6 | " | |
| 7 | " | |
| 8 | " | |
| 9 | " | |
| 10 | " |
Paris - Tours EliteChartresTours
Will it be third time lucky for Arnaud De Lie? - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Can Christophe Laporte still add some brilliance to his season? - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Mike Teunissen was fourth in Paris-Tours last year - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Taco van der Hoorn undoubtedly has some bold attack plans - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Paris - Tours Elite
