Philippe Gilbert bid a perfect farewell to his Francaise des Jeux team when he won his greatest victory to date in the 102nd Paris-Tours.
The Belgian, who moves to Silence-Lotto next season, outwitted other favourites in a nail-biting finale to lead a Belgian one-two ahead of compatriot Jan Kuyckx (Landbouwkrediet).
France’s Sebastien Turgot was third in an edition in which sprinters were prevented from battling it out on the famous avenue de Grammont.
In the final kilometers, Gilbert managed to join a four-man break launched 15 kms from the line by French champion Nicolas Vogondy, who finished fourth.
The Verviers-born Gilbert, 26, had great wins behind him, notably two Het Volks, but this crowns six great seasons with Marc Madiot for the Belgian.
After the UCI has checked that the riders of the Team Collstrop respect all the criteria of the biological passport, the Dutch team has been reintegrated into the list of the teams invited for the upcoming Paris-Tours, which will take place on Sunday, 12th of Octobre. Therefore, there will be 23 teams at the start.
The Teams selected
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GERMANY Gerolsteiner (GST) Team Milram (MRM) BELGIUM Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner (LAN) Quick Step (QST) Silence-Lotto (SIL) Topsport Vlaanderen (TSV) DENMARK Team CSC Saxo Bank (CSC) SPAIN Caisse d'Epargne (GCE) Euskaltel - Euskadi (EUS) UNITED STATES Garmin Chipotle (TSL) Team Columbia (THR) |
FRANCE AG2R - La Mondiale (ALM) Agritubel (AGR) Bouygues Telecom (BTL) Cofidis le crédit par téléphone (COF) Crédit Agricole (C.A) Française des Jeux (FDJ), ITALY Lampre - Fondital (LAM) Liquigas (LIQ) Tinkoff Credit Systems (TCS) NETHERLANDS Cycle Collstrop (COS) Rabobank (RAB) Skil - Shimano (SKS) |
Paris-Tours Elite (252 km): start at Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines at 11:10AM; arrival expected around 4:50 PM.
Paris-Tours Espoirs (179 km): start at Bonneval at 11h40 AM; arrival expected around 3:50 PM.
Kilomètre de Paris-Tours: series of races organised for the cadets and juniors on the final part of the course between 12:45 and 3:00 PM.
Download the press release(1 page, .pdf, 83 ko)
Through its position in the calendar, Paris-Tours is often an opportunity to bid farewell to the retiring champions. This year, Germany’s Erik Zabel, co-record holder of the number of victories (1994, 2003 and 2005), will retire after the Autumn Classic. Finally concerning the “lasts”, Paris-Tours will mark the final appearance of the green jerseys of the Credit Agricole formation, present among the elite teams of cycling ever since 1998.
To seize the occasion to shine on one of the last big meetings of the year, the teams of the best sprinters have taken the habit to do their best to organise a bunched sprint at the finish. The presence of a very impressive selection of specialists with the likes of Robbie McEwen, Tom Boonen, Daniele Bennati or Oscar Freire, should favour this kind of outcome. But the last few kilometres of the race could also be used by punchers with the best united in the pack of Paris-Tours: Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez, World champion Alessandro Ballan, but also Thomas Voeckler, Philippe Gilbert or Filippo Pozzato, all experts in such an exercise.
| The favourites from the 22 teams | |
|---|---|
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GERMANY Gerolsteiner: Förtser, Haussler, Lang (All) Team Milram: Grivko (Ukr), Zabel (All) BELGIUM Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner: Boucher (Fra) Quick Step: Boonen, Devolder (Bel) Silence-Lotto: McEwen (Aus), Tjallingii (Hol) Topsport Vlaanderen: Bakelants (Bel) DENMARK Team CSC: Arvesen (Nor), Breschel (Dan) SPAIN Caisse d'Epargne: Charteau, Coyot (Fra) Euskaltel - Euskadi: Sanchez (Esp) UNITED STATES Garmin Chipotle: Farrar (E-u), Maaskant (Hol) Team Columbia: Ciolek (All), Eisel (Aut) |
FRANCE AG2R - La Mondiale: Elmiger (Sui), Usov (Blr) Agritubel: Casper (Fra) Bouygues Telecom: Haddou, Voeckler (Fra) Cofidis crédit par téléphone: Dumoulin (Fra), Nuyens (Bel) Crédit Agricole: Bonnet (Fra), Renshaw (Aus) Française des Jeux: Gilbert (Bel), Guesdon (Fra) ITALY Lampre: Ballan (Ita) Liquigas: Bennati, Chicchi, Pozzato (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems: Ignatiev (Rus) NETHERLANDS Rabobank: Freire, Flecha (Esp) Skil - Shimano: Beppu (Jap), Rooijakkers (Hol) |
Download the press release(1 page, .pdf, 80 ko)
The organisation have received a confirmation from the UCI that three teams had not followed the blood testing program of the biological passport. Therefore, LPR, Mitsubishi-Jartazi and Cycle Collstrop have all been immediately taken out of the list of teams engaged for the upcoming Paris-Tours, which will take place on Sunday 12th Octobre.
Added to that the course has been modified compared to the previous editions, mainly in the intermediate part where the wind and breaks in the pack occur. The race will take the riders notably to the city of Vendome on a slighlty more easterly course. The final part however remains unchanged with the succession of climbs up the Côte de l'Epan and Côte du Petit Pas d'Âne, that have often offered good attacking opportunities in the past. After 252 kilometres of riding, the finsh will take place at the end of the Avenue de Grammont, a long 2600 m straight, just in front of the Hôtel de Ville de Tours.
The Teams selected
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GERMANY Gerolsteiner (GST) Team Milram (MRM) BELGIUM Landbouwkrediet - Tonissteiner (LAN) Quick Step (QST) Silence-Lotto (SIL) Topsport Vlaanderen (TSV) DENMARK Team CSC Saxo Bank (CSC) SPAIN Caisse d'Epargne (GCE) Euskaltel - Euskadi (EUS) UNITED STATES Garmin Chipotle (TSL) Team Columbia (THR) |
FRANCE AG2R - La Mondiale (ALM) Agritubel (AGR) Bouygues Telecom (BTL) Cofidis le crédit par téléphone (COF) Crédit Agricole (C.A) Française des Jeux (FDJ), ITALY Lampre - Fondital (LAM) Liquigas (LIQ) Tinkoff Credit Systems (TCS) NETHERLANDS Rabobank (RAB) Skil - Shimano (SKS) |
Paris-Tours Elite (252 km): start at Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines at 11:10AM; arrival expected around 4:50 PM.
Paris-Tours Espoirs (179 km): start at Bonneval at 11h40 AM; arrival expected around 3:50 PM.
Kilomètre de Paris-Tours: series of races organised for the cadets and juniors on the final part of the course between 12:45 and 3:00 PM.
Download the press release(1 page, .pdf, 80 ko)
Helped by three times winner Erik Zabel, Alessandro Petacchi outclassed the elite of world sprint to win his second big classic in Paris-Tours.
The 2005 Milan-San Remo winner was too strong for compatriot Francesco Chicchi and Spain’s Oscar Freire, who joined him on the podium. It was Italy’s first victory on the avenue de Grammont since Andrea Tafi in 2000 and Petacchi’s 130th career victory. Ironically, Zabel had beaten Petacchi on the line to win his second Paris-Tours in 2003 before they joined forces in team Milram for the 2007 season.