All classifications
| 1 | Frédéric GUESDON |
| 2 | Kurt-Asle ARVESEN |
| 3 | Stuart O’GRADY |
| 4 | Thor HUSHOVD |
| 5 | Alexandre USOV |
| » overall rankings |
Starters' list | Time schedules
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The race
Sunday 8 October 2006Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines > Tours - 254.5 km
Guesdon wins in Tours, nine years after Roubaix
Nine years after his victory in Paris-Roubaix in 1997, Frederic Guesdon proved he was no one-hit wonder when he won Paris-Tours over 254 kms in a nailbiting sprint finish.
The Frenchman (Francaise des jeux) overpowered Norway’s Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC) on the famous avenue de Grammont to win the 100th edition of the race.
The two had broken away in the last climb, eight kilometres from the finish and managed to keep the peloton at bay until the line. Australian Stuart O’Grady had to be content with third place ahead of Norway’s Thor Hushovd.
Favourites Tom Boonen and Erik Zabel lost all hopes early on when they were both trapped in a « bordure », lost more than 12 minutes and finally gave up after 150 kilometres, in the feeding area. Two thirds of the starting bunch, also trapped at the back, also called it quits and only 72 riders were left in contention in the last 100 kilometres.
The film of the stage
PARIS-TOURS (254.5 kms)
196 riders at the start.
Weather: sunny and gently warm throughout.
The start was given at 11:16 to 196 riders at St Arnoult en Yvelines. Organisers paid tribute to Estonia’s Jaan Kirsipuu, who announced this was his last race as a professional.
28 IN THE LEAD
The race was active from the start and six men broke clear after 13 kms : Arvesen (CSC), France’s Frederic Finot (FDJeux) and Stephane Poulhies (AG2R), Germany’s Sebastien Siedler (Milram), Spain’s Pedro Horillo (Rabobank) and Dutchman Steven de Jongh (Quick Step). They were gradually joined by other riders and the leading group comprised 28 men after 24 kms. The 22 other riders involved were Kasper Klostergaard (CSC), Frederic Guesdon (FDJeux), Frederic Amorison (Landouwkrediet), Graeme Brown (Rabobank), Cristian Moreni and Tyler Farrar (Cofidis), Enrico Franzoi and Danilo Napolitano (Lampre), Maarten Tjallingii and Christoph Meschenmoser (Skil), Jan Kuyckx (Davitamon Lotto), David Vitoria (Phonak), Kevin van Impe (Quick Step), Vladimir Gusev (Discovery Channel), Peter Wrolich (Gerolsteiner), Yoann Le Boulanger (Bouygues Telecom), Inaki Isasi (Rudkaltel), Carlos Abellan and Koen De Kort (Astana), Luca Paolini , Mauro Da Dalto and Enrco Gasparotto (Liquigas). Gusev was later dropped from the group (kilometre 60.5).
BOONEN AND ZABEL TRAPPED
Their lead stabilised at around 2:30 (km 83). The gap diminished as the bunch, led by Discovery Channel riders, split into four groups. While most of the big names managed to stay in the top part of the pack, favourites Tom Boonen and Erik Zabel were trapped in a second group drifting a minute behind.
The first part of the bunch involved 44 men including Stuart O’Grady (CSC), Stijn Devolder (Discovery), Alessandro Ballan and Daniele Bennati (Lampre), Thor Hushovd and Jaan Kirsipuu (Credit Agricole), Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas), Philippe Gilbert (FD Jeux) and Baden Cooke (Unibet.com).
The lead of the 27 breakaways climaxed at 4:30 over this first chasing group (at km 130) while the main peloton could not hold the pace and found themselves 12 minutes behind.
ONLY 72 RIDERS LEFT
Seeing their chances were gone, all the riders in the back part of the race gave up in the feeding area (km 149). Gone were Zabel’s hopes of an unprecedented 4th victory and Boonen’s chances of finishing the season in style.
Only 72 riders were left in contention in the last 100 kilometres.
After Da Dalto was dropped from the break, the 26 riders in the lead saw the gap reduced and it was down to 1:30 with 60 kms to go. The chase was an up-and-down one and the lead went up again as numerous attacks took place at the front. The ceasefire was ended by Abellan but the most serious move involved Guesdon and Moreni, who were later joined by Van Impe (km 208), followed by Gasparotto and Arvesen, one of the first rider in action today.
What was left of the main bunch raised the tempo in the final hour and the lead of the five was down to 40 seconds with 20 kms to go and 15 seconds with 15 kms left. Seeing the peloton on his heels, Guesdon attacked in the Cote de l’Epan, eight kilometres from the finish. Only Arvesen was able to stay with the Breton rider. The two did not look back and Guesdon led the perfect sprint, staying in the Norwegian’s wheels before surging with 200 metres to go. O’Grady won the sprint for third place.
The winner interview
Guesdon: I knew i could make it
This is a great ending to a great season for you
At my age, you’re forced to manage your season and save strength. The team wanted me to go on the Vuelta but I insisted not to… I was right. I’m in great shape now as I showed with good results in the Tour du Limousin. This week in Paris-Bourges I worked as a team-mate for the other guys but I told them I would be ready on Sunday.
You’re not so used to this kind of head to head sprints.
No it was a first for me, but I remembered how my team-mate Jacky Durand had been beaten by a CSC rider, Jakob Piil in 2002 and also last year how Philippe Gilbert was caught 200 metres from the line. I was determined not to let it happen again.
Did you really believe in your chances ?
In the recent past, some riders managed to make a difference in the last climbs so I knew it was possible. We worked fine together with Arvesen, we never looked back. Whe we reached the red flame together, we looked at one another, knowing this was for one of us.
The newsflashes
