Paris - Tours 2018

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October 7, 2018, Paris, France, Road - 1.HC

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Welcome to our live coverage of the 2018 Paris-Tours

 

Hello there. Paris-Tours. Arguably the biggest race outside of the WorldTour and a true end-of-season delight. The race is already underway and we'll be bringing you blow-by-blow coverage of all the action right here. 

As we pick up the action, with just over 40km on the clock, a six-man breakaway has established a lead of nearly three minutes over the peloton. In there are:

It was Eisel, Chavanel, and Van Goethem who went clear in the early kilometres and they were joined soon after by the other three.

A lot of people were talking about crosswinds this morning, as the race heads south from Chartres (yeah, like Roubaix, it doesn't actually start in Paris) towards Tours. And we've already had some echelon action. Sep Vanmarcke was caught out earlier, sending EF-Drapac into a bit of a panic, but they came back and the race has settled down once more. 

Not only might we have echelons today, but we definitely have gravel tracks, which may just send the hipsters over the edge. There are 12.5km worth of the rough stuff, spread across nine sectors in the final 60km of the race, the final one ending 10km from the line. Did we mention, hipsters, that the off-road sections weave through vineyards of the Vouvray appellation?

And not only do we have gravel, but we also have more climbs (seven) in the finale. Paris-Tours has always been finely balanced between the sprinters and the baroudeurs, but these changes are likely to give us a more selective race, even if the total distance has been trimmed down to 214.5km.

Anyway, enough from me. Ellis Bacon has all the details in his in-depth race preview. 

Here's the profile by the way. It should already be at the top of the screen, but just in case it's not...

154km remaining from 214km

Quick-Step and FDJ have been doing the work on the front of the peloton. The Belgian team have Tour of Flanders champion Niki Terpstra, former double Paris-Tours winner Philippe Gilbert (2008 and 2009), and Belgian champion Yves Lampaert, not to mention Fabio Jakobsen in the event of a bunch sprint. They, as ever, hold the keys to this race.

 

 

129km remaining from 214km

Shout out to Sylvain Chavanel, taking to the breakaway in the final race of his 19-year professional career. A fitting end for someone who has spent so much of his time off the front over the years.

"At a certain moment you need to say stop. I know that for some of my supporters it's going to seem bizarre not having me around anymore. I didn't want to go on when it turned into a huge effort, I wanted to stop when I was still competitive."

AG2R and Cofidis are also contributing at the head of the peloton. The former have a really strong card in Oliver Naesen, while the latter are working for sprinter Christophe Laporte. 

Average speed during the first 2 hours : 48,5 Km/H #ParisTours

Paris-Tours is for some reason always ridiculously fast. 

The peloton is seven riders light today. That's because the WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic team withdrew following the tragic death of their rider Jimmy Duquennoy on Friday. The young Belgian died at home after suffering a cardiac arrest. It's simply devastating, and our condolences go out to Jimmy's family, friends, and teammates.

Duquennoy is the latest in a string of heart-related issues among pro cyclists, his death following those of fellow young Belgians Michael Goolaerts and Daan Myngheer in the last three years alone. 

114km remaining from 214km

Splits in the peloton!

The riders have just gone through the feed zone but there'll be no leisurely lunch today. This is probably the most exposed section of today's route and things are kicking off.

The peloton has split in two and there are around 30 riders in the second group with a small deficit.

The two groups come back together.

That flurry of action has seen the breakaway's advantage come down to one minute.

Plenty of riders were distanced there. Some are getting back in now.

The pace eases slightly and with the gap to the break just 45 seconds that's the cue for counter attacks and we have some riders - including Alex Dowsett - trying to bridge over to the front of the race.

Dowsett is with Tom Devriendt (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), and Johan Le Bon (Vital Concept) and they've made it across. That's now 9 in the break. 

70km remaining from 214km

A glimpse of the upcoming gravel

Lotto Soudal are setting a strong pace at the front of the peloton now. They have Andre Greipel here, with other options coming from Jelle Wallays and Tiesj Benoot.

We're approaching the first climb of the day. It's the Côte de Nazelles-Négron. It has an average gradient of 6.7% but is only 600 metres long. 

61km remaining from 214km

No big moves in the peloton, though some find themselves distanced.

Some more gravel snaps from France Television's Marion Rousse. 

55km remaining from 214km

The peloton is strung out and they're only 30 seconds behind the nine leaders. 

The first of the nine gravel sectors is coming up in a few kilometres' time and, like in the spring classics, everyone wants to be well positioned.

Well positioned being at the front. And obviously not everyone can be there... and we have a crash.

A Fortuneo rider is flung into a ditch at the side of the road. It's a dramatic one but should be a soft landing. Riders from Sunweb and Wanty are on the deck in the road but appear ok to continue. 

Gravel!

49km remaining from 214km

Guernalec is dropped from the break as they come off sector 9. 

There's no respite before the start of sector 8. It's the Vallée de Raye and it's also 500m long but also climbs slightly.

A fair few splits in the peloton already.

Devriendt kicks on in the break and De Bondt follows. The peloton is catching the others, though, and they're only 20 seconds behind the two leaders.

46km remaining from 214km

Yves Lampaert is driving a small group clear off the front of the peloton. Vanmarcke is there too.

Laporte has been dropped and is in a group of stragglers. Cofidis have been working but it doesn't look like it'll be the Frenchman's day. 

 The front of the peloton is now closing in on Devriendt and De Bondt. There are around 30 riders in there. 

Dylan Groenewegen has also been dropped. That's another sprinter seemingly taken out of the equation. 

41km remaining from 214km

The riders hit the second climb of the day, the Côte de Gougenne, and Terpstra goes on the attack.

The climb is short but it's followed by the third gravel sector, so this is a key part of the race with just under 40km to go.

And onto the dirt they go, and this is the longest sector at an aching 2.5km. It's known as the Grosse Pierre and the surface doesn't look too bad.

Terpstra sparks a move involving several riders. He has a Quick-Step teammate with him, while Sunweb, FDJ, and both Lottos also have a representative.

Naesen has missed out and leads the chase behind.

Terpstra calls for collaboration but Vanmarcke ostentatiously sticks his panting tongue out. Gilbert was the other Quick-Stepper but he's just lost contact.

It looks like a mechanical for Gilbert, who is caught and passed by the AG2R-led chase group.

Gilbert finds a teammate and orders his rear wheel. Now begins the chase back on.

It's Soren Kragh Andersen up front for Sunweb, Jelle Wallays for Lotto Soudal, Valentin Madouas for FDJ, and Pascal Eenkhoorn for LottoNL. Plus Terpstra and Vanmarcke who we've already mentioned. 

But as I write that, and as the riders come over the Cote de Monfort (the third climb of the day) and onto the Monfort gravel sector (the fourth of the day but 'number 6'), the chase group comes back.

The stones here are really thick and the riders have to slow almost to a standstill as they round a 90-degree left-hander. 

Andersen refused to give up and has continued this effort alone.

Puncture for Wallays.

Puncture for Greipel now. Nightmare for Lotto Soudal.

This is a bruising sector and the race has split considerably once again. 

33km remaining from 214km

Terpstra and Andersen lead the race, while behind them a five-man chase group has established itself. In there is Naesen, Vanmarcke, Eenkhoorn, Jose Goncalves (Katusha) and one other from St Michel Auber 93.

More riders get over to the chase group, including Lampaert, Jos Van Emden (LottoNL), Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R), and Jesper Asselman (Roompot). It's Damien Touze for Auber 93, by the way.

Onto the Côte de la Rochère, and Naesen attacks the chase group in pursuit of Terpstra and Andersen.

Démare is still in the mix, dangling off the back of that chase group. His FDJ teammate Madouas is also up there.

Cosnefroy has countered Naesen's acceleration and is chasing down the two leaders.

Madouas, Naesen, Vanmarcke, Touze, and Martijn Tusveld (Sunweb) have formed a chase group at 20 seconds. 

Gilbert finds himself 1:15 from the front of the race.

25km remaining from 214km

Lampaert has been dropped from that chasing group, too. Quick-Step don't seem to have the luxury of options they normally do.

24km remaining from 214km

Onto the next climb, the Cote de la Vallee Chartier, and Madouas and Naesen have clipped off the front of that chase group.

And now onto sector 2 of the gravel - Peu Morier (1.6km).

Vanmarcke accelerates now and joins Naesen and Madouas.

The chase group of Madouas, Naesen and Vanmarcke is not making inroads. 38 seconds is the gap now to the three leaders. 

Two climbs and one gravel sector remaining. 

Terpstra looks really strong, and Andersen looks comfortable, too. Cosnefroy looks the least at ease but he had a lengthy solo chase and is the least experienced, riding his first full season as a pro after winning the U23 Worlds last year.

Cosnefroy is glued to the back of this leading trio, and Terpstra knows exactly what he thinks of that. The young Frenchman, though, is the only one with a teammate (Naesen) behind, and so he has some justification for his lack of contribution. 

If Terpstra barked at me to come through.... I probably would. Fair play to Cosnefroy for standing firm. He's the big underdog from the three and his only chance of winning here is to put as much of the burden as possible on the other two.

16km remaining from 214km

Gilbert and Wallays are two of the riders who have joined up with the Demare group. They both might have been up front but for untimely mechanicals.

14km remaining from 214km

13km remaining from 214km

The gap between the two leading trios extends to 41 seconds, and it looks like the winner will either be Terpstra, Andersen, or Cosnefroy. 

Both trios come off the gravel for the final time. Up next is the final climb of the day - the Cote de Rochecorbon - ahead of the 10km run to the line.

11km remaining from 214km

Naesen, Madouas, and Vanmarcke are at 43 seconds.

Andersen attacks!

Terpstra puts Cosnefroy on the front...

Terpstra comes through for a turn now, but Andersen is already away.

Kragh Andersen is on the flat roads that run alongside the Loire. He has 8.5km to go and is essentially in time trial mode. 

Terpstra and Cosnefroy don't look like they're at full tilt there. A surprising lack of reaction to such a dangerous late play from Andersen. 

There's no official time gap between Andersen and Terpstra/Cosnefroy. 

Behind them, Gilbert and Benoot have attacked the exapnded chase and are trying to track down the Naesen group. 

6km remaining from 214km

Andersen finished second behind Trentin last year but looks to be on his way to the top step of the podium.

4km remaining from 214km

Gilbert and Benoot have caught Naesen, Vanmarcke, and Madouas to form a chase group of 5 (the third group on the road). 

Terpstra does a turn and has to call Cosnefroy through. He obliges.

It's too little, too late, though. Andersen has 3km to go and 24 seconds in hand.

The Gilbert chase group is at 1:14 and definitely out of the podium equation. 

Final 2km for Andersen, and the gap is still 25 seconds. 

Andersen claimed a first WorldTour win at the Tour de Suisse earlier this year but this might just go down as his biggest win in his three years as a pro.

1km remaining from 214km

The Dane can enjoy this run-in. He's into the final few hundred metres and he's still hunched over his bars but this is in the bag. 

And now the arms come up from the bars. He looks over his shoulders and punches the air with both arms.

Soren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) wins the 2018 Paris-Tours

Here comes the sprint for second...Cosnefroy goes early.

Terpstra comes round and takes second place. 

Gilbert leads the chase group into the home straight but it's Naesen who opens the sprint, and he takes fourth place. 

"I didn't really believe this was possible," says Soren Kragh Andersen.

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