Freire bookends season with Paris-Tours win
By Jean-François Quénet published
Furlan, Steegmans out-sprinted by Spaniard
Oscar Freire has become the first Spaniard to win Paris-Tours in his 11th participation in the French classic. Freire launched a perfectly timed sprint to win handily over Angelo Furlan and Gert Steegmans, a slim consolation prize from the missed opportunity at the world championships.
In doing so, the Spaniard clocked the second fastest average speed for the race, with 47.730km/h. Andreï Tchmil remains the record holder with 48.929km/h in 1999. Freire will remain the last winner on the Avenue de Grammont. The planned tramway will relocate the finish before next year's race, making this edition the last to use the classic finish line.
"I've had more luck today than at the world championship," Freire said. "My condition was ok after the trip to Australia. We have controlled the race and I stayed at the front. It was a perfect race for me."
Experts usually say that the greatness of Paris-Tours is the events that precede the final sprint. It was a fast start until Jonas Jorgensen (Saxo Bank), Travis Meyer (Garmin-Transitions), Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Simon Geschke (Skil-Shimano) broke clear at kilometre 37. They were soon rejoined by Nikolas Maes (Quick Step), Aleksej Saramotins (HTC-Columbia), Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) and Laurent Pichon (Bretagne-Schuller). The eight men only managed to get a maximum lead of four minutes at km 70, but the peloton kept them under control.
At the halfway mark in Vendôme, the Saur-Sojasun team accelerated and created splits in the bunch with Italy's Daniele Bennati and Filippo Pozzato among the top names trapped at the back. But the peloton was back together eventually and the breakaway riders could see their advantage increasing again up to 2.45 at km 145. RadioShack, Rabobank and Omega Pharma-Lotto became the most active at the command of the bunch and reduced the gap progressively.
On the côte du Crochu (km 203.5), Geschke put the hammer down and split the front group, and only Maes could bridge the gap. With 20 kilometres to go, the peloton caught everyone except Geschke and Maes who lasted five more kilometres in the front. On the côte de Beau-Soleil, newly introduced on the course of Paris-Tours, RadioShack's Geoffrey Lequatre attacked and kept an 18 second lead at the entrance of the 2.7km long avenue de Grammont.
"I took risks before everyone else," Lequatre told Cyclingnews after the finish. "Everything was possible. I heard from Alain Gallopin over the radio that I had 25 or 29 seconds advantage. It was a game between me and the bunch. I never looked back, but the headwind on the Avenue de Grammont made it too hard for a man alone."
Once Lequatre got caught with 400 metres to go, the headwind continued to play a major role. "Bozic led me well, but with 300 metres to go, I got the headwind right into my face," explained the first Frenchman Romain Feillu (6th). "At 200 metres, I took Furlan's wheel but I couldn't hold it. The efforts I did previously penalised me although I had kept strength for the sprint."
Lampre's Furlan thought he had a good chance of winning. "I believed I'd win, I dreamt of it and I needed it," the Italian told Cyclingnews. "If there wasn't this head wind, I would have won because I came out of the Vuelta with good form. I chose to open the sprint with 300 metres to go because you need to take risks to win. It's no shame to lose to a champion like Oscar Freire, but I'm a bit disappointed to have been so close to the win and not make it."
Freire was unbeatable in the last 50 metres. "He was really impressive," said last year's winner Philippe Gilbert. "He was almost stopped and found a great speed in only 100 metres."
"It was a very fast race because of the favourable wind," the Belgian added. "But the new finale was a disadvantage for the attackers. I tried in the côte de l'Epan but I stopped my effort when I had Pozzato on my wheel. It seems to be his speciality to make other riders lose. Two years ago, he rode against Boonen, now apparently I am his new target. It's his way of riding. As for myself, I didn't want to take risks in the sprint so I rode for Greg van Avermaet who told me he was up for it but he got boxed in."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank | 4:52:54 |
2 | Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | |
3 | Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Radioshack | |
4 | Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
5 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
6 | Romain Feillu (Fra) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
7 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Française Des Jeux | |
8 | Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step | |
9 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC - Columbia | |
10 | Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française Des Jeux | |
11 | Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha | |
12 | Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
13 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
14 | Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini | |
15 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
16 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
17 | Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
18 | Fabien Bacquet (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
19 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
20 | Cédric Pineau (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
21 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne | |
22 | Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux | |
23 | Jimmy Casper (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
24 | Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
25 | Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
26 | Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne | |
27 | Renaud Dion (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
28 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin - Transitions | |
29 | Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team HTC - Columbia | |
30 | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram | |
31 | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Team Radioshack | |
32 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
33 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne | |
34 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | |
35 | Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
36 | Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team | |
37 | Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne | |
38 | Dimitri Le Boulch (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
39 | Lilian Jegou (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
40 | Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
41 | Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin - Transitions | |
42 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | |
43 | Gerben Löwik (Ned) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
44 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Doimo | |
45 | Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
46 | Romain Matheou (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
47 | Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | |
48 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram | |
49 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
50 | Steven Cummings (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team | |
51 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step | |
52 | Sander Armee (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
53 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia | |
54 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | |
55 | Francisco Perez Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
56 | Rony Martias (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
57 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha | |
58 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
59 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank | |
60 | Borut Bozic (Slo) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
61 | Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) Française Des Jeux | |
62 | Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
63 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
64 | Timothy Duggan (USA) Garmin - Transitions | |
65 | Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne | |
66 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
67 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne | |
68 | Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne | |
69 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne | |
70 | Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Team Radioshack | |
71 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team | |
72 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Fdj | |
73 | Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack | |
74 | Bert De Backer (Bel) Skil - Shimano | |
75 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
76 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram | |
77 | José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Team Radioshack | 0:00:10 |
78 | Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Team Radioshack | |
79 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Doimo | 0:00:20 |
80 | Leif Hoste (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
81 | Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:31 |
82 | Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | 0:00:42 |
83 | Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:01:03 |
84 | Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:13 |
85 | Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:01:22 |
86 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
87 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step | |
88 | Morgan Kneisky (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
89 | Matthew Busche (USA) Team Radioshack | 0:02:08 |
90 | Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Transitions | 0:02:22 |
91 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram | |
92 | Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Quick Step | 0:02:29 |
93 | Nadir Haddou (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
94 | Vincent Jérôme (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
95 | Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
96 | Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre-Farnese Vini | |
97 | Ronan Racault (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 | |
98 | Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez (Col) Caisse d'Epargne | |
99 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia | |
100 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Team HTC - Columbia | |
101 | Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
102 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux | |
103 | José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
104 | Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
105 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française Des Jeux | |
106 | Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team | |
107 | Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
108 | Kjell Carlström (Fin) Sky Professional Cycling Team | |
109 | Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | |
110 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
111 | Mathieu Claude (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
112 | Simon Zahner (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
113 | Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | |
114 | Yohann Gène (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
115 | Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram | |
116 | Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
117 | Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
118 | Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
119 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
120 | Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
121 | Mathieu Halleguen (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
122 | Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 0:03:01 |
123 | Laszlo Bodrogi (Fra) Team Katusha | |
124 | Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank | 0:04:48 |
125 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Quick Step | 0:05:39 |
126 | Jérémie Galland (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | 0:06:24 |
127 | Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
128 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha | 0:07:13 |
129 | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Team Katusha | |
130 | Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Team HTC - Columbia | 0:07:15 |
131 | Guillaume Faucon (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
132 | Andreas Stauff (Ger) Quick Step | |
133 | Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
134 | Maxime Méderel (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 | |
135 | Adam Blythe (GBr) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
136 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step | |
137 | Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
138 | Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | |
139 | Christopher Butler (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
140 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team | |
141 | Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank | |
142 | Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
143 | Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) AG2R La Mondiale | |
144 | Gatis Smukulis (Lat) AG2R La Mondiale | |
145 | Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | |
146 | Arnaud Molmy (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
147 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | |
148 | Stéphane Bonsergent (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
149 | Laurent Pichon (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
150 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano | |
151 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
152 | Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
153 | Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
154 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom | |
155 | Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank | |
156 | Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank | |
157 | Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank | |
158 | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank | |
159 | Ivan Rovny (Rus) Team Radioshack | |
160 | Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra) Française Des Jeux | |
161 | Raymond Kreder (Ned) Garmin - Transitions | |
162 | Roger Kluge (Ger) Team Milram | 0:07:21 |
163 | Michael Mørkøv (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
164 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 0:10:01 |
165 | Travis Meyer (Aus) Garmin - Transitions | 0:10:27 |
166 | Jonas Aaen Jørgensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
167 | Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step | 0:11:46 |
168 | Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | 0:12:20 |
169 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
170 | Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) Team Saxo Bank | |
171 | Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | |
172 | David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-Farnese Vini | |
173 | Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre - Farnese | |
DNF | Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini | |
DNF | Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis, le Credit en Ligne | |
DNF | Kristof Goddaert (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Nicolas Portal (Fra) Sky Professional Cycling Team | |
DNF | Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
DNF | Ricardo Van Der Velde (Ned) Garmin - Transitions | |
DNF | Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNF | Florian Guillou (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | |
DNF | Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | |
DNF | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team | |
DNF | Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Cole House (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | |
DNF | Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank | |
DNF | Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
DNF | Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram |

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