Trentin victorious in Paris-Tours
Final race with Quick-Step Floors for Italian
Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step Floors) claimed his second Paris-Tours victory in three years, out-gunning Soren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) in a dramatic finale. Niki Terpstra crossed the line in third to give the Belgian team two riders on the podium.
Quick-Step Floors had pre-race favourite and defending champion Fernando Gaviria in the pack, but they had to think quickly when the Colombian was felled on a slick corner. Gaviria made it back to the tail end of the peloton, but it was clear that he was not going to get back to the front for the sprint. Taking his opportunity, Trentin attacked on the Côte de Beau Soleil and blew the peloton apart.
The Italian initially took other sprinters such as BMC's Jempy Drucker with him, as others scrambled to catch up. An increase in pace soon left Trentin with just Kragh Andersen for company, before Terpstra managed to clear the gap. Terpstra had been one of the last riders to make the initial split, after toiling across the gap, but this time his teammate eased the pace to allow him to get across.
Quick-Step made good use of their numeric advantage, putting Terpstra at the front to take the brunt of the work. After a few tactical discussions, the chasers were visible back down the road, but the Belgian squad had time to execute their move perfectly. Trentin was first to strike out and Kragh Andersen was quick onto his wheel, but the Sunweb rider could do nothing to get past the charging Italian. It was the perfect way to close Trentin's career with Quick-Step Floors as he sets sail for Orica-Scott over the winter.
"I did what I did two years ago when I won. Of course, it was a bit different. We were in a big bunch and there weren't echelons here today. You know, with the light rain, the wet, and the course that was designed a bit different, it was a bit more technical in the approach to the climb," said Trentin. "I saw that the bunch was straight and people were making big efforts to stay in the front so I decided to give it a go.
"The first group formed and then with the second one I saw we were two and then I saw Niki so I decided to wait and then we worked perfectly together. He really made a perfect lead-out together. That's my way to finish the season and to thanks the team for these last seven year. I said it this morning in Instagram that the best way to end this chapter was winning and I did it and it's a nice feeling."
The day was marked by a five-man breakaway that moved clear in the opening kilometres. Romain Combaud (Delko Marseille Provence KTM), Michael Goolaerts (Verandas Willems Crelan), Lawrence Naesen (WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect), Stephan Poulhies (Armee de Terre) and Brian van Goethem (Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij) were the riders to go up the road. They built up a lead of over four minutes before the peloton cut them down to closer to three minutes.
With Gaviria in their line-up, the other teams were more than happy to allow Quick-Step Floors set the pace on the front of the bunch with Iljo Keisse spending most of the race on the front. It was only as the race reached the final 70 kilometres that teams really began to pitch in and help them.
At just over 30 kilometres remaining, the pace began to show in the leading group as riders were dropped one by one. Poulhies was the first to go and Goolaerts wasn't too far behind after he went too deep on a corner as the rain began to fall. Naesen looked the strongest as he dug in and dropped Comboud soon after. He and Van Goethem held on a few more kilometres but it was clear that they were not going to stay out there and with 20 kilometres remaining the gap was only 20 seconds.
The race appeared to be heading inexorably towards a sprint finish until Gaviria slid out going around a right-hand bend. He was quick to get up, but it took time to sort his bike out and it left him with plenty of ground to make up just as the race was really ramping up. AG2R La Mondiale was not about to wait for the defending champion and they put the hammer down, leaving Gaviria stuck at the back of the bunch without the power or energy to get back to the front.
The final nail for Gaviria was the Côte de Beau Soleil when Trentin decided to make his move. He could be seen slipping back with only Zdenek Stybar for company as several members of his team shot up the road after Trentin. The gaps were never too large, but it was enough for Quick-Step to make it their third straight victory at the sprinters' Classic, with Trentin taking his second. Max Richeze and Yves Lampaert made it four riders in the top 10 for the Belgian team, while Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) took fourth place by winning the sprint from the chase group.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors | 5:22:51 |
2 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
3 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors | 0:00:01 |
4 | André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:07 |
5 | Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors | |
6 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
7 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
8 | Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
9 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
10 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team | |
11 | Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
12 | Lorenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ | |
13 | Amund Grondahl Jansen (Nor) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:00:10 |
14 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ | 0:00:12 |
15 | Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:14 |
16 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:22 |
17 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
18 | Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ | 0:00:28 |
19 | Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
20 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
21 | Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
22 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
23 | Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
24 | Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin | |
25 | Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
26 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:00:32 |
27 | Rudy Barbier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:45 |
28 | Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors | |
29 | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
30 | Roy Jans (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
31 | Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
32 | Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
33 | Kevin Le Cunff (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
34 | Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team | |
35 | Damien Touze (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
36 | Pierre Gouault (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
37 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
38 | Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
39 | Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
40 | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
41 | Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | |
42 | Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
43 | Emils Liepins (Lat) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
44 | Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
45 | Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale | |
46 | Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
47 | Piotr Havik (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin | |
48 | Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
49 | Delio Fernandez (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
50 | Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
51 | David Menut (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
52 | Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
53 | Joey Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
54 | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
55 | Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
56 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data | |
57 | Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Dimension Data | |
58 | Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
59 | Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | |
60 | Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
61 | Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Den) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
62 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
63 | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie | |
64 | Kevin Reza (Fra) FDJ | |
65 | Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ | |
66 | Aime De Gendt (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
67 | Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
68 | Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
69 | Michael Morkov (Den) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:00:59 |
70 | Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
71 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors | 0:01:07 |
72 | Huub Duijn (Ned) Veranda's Willems Crelan | 0:01:32 |
73 | Jarl Salomein (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:01:36 |
74 | Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
75 | Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
76 | Jordan Levasseur (Fra) Armee de Terre | 0:01:38 |
77 | Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Armee de Terre | 0:02:06 |
78 | Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
79 | Romain Le Roux (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
80 | Alan Riou (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | |
81 | Angel Madrazo (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
82 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:02:09 |
83 | Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Aqua Blue Sport | 0:02:20 |
84 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Aqua Blue Sport | |
85 | Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | 0:02:22 |
86 | Arjen Livyns (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
87 | Andre Looij (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
88 | Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
89 | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
90 | Piet Allegaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
91 | Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data | |
92 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
93 | Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
94 | Bram Welten (Ned) BMC Racing Team | |
95 | Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
96 | Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | |
97 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
98 | Romain Guillemois (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:02:41 |
99 | Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie | |
100 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | |
101 | Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
102 | Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | |
103 | Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:04:13 |
104 | Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | 0:04:25 |
105 | Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
106 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data | |
107 | Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal | |
108 | Léo Vincent (Fra) FDJ | |
109 | Max Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
110 | Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
111 | Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
112 | Lander Seynaeve (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
113 | Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
114 | Joeri Calleeuw (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
115 | Calvin Watson (Aus) Aqua Blue Sport | |
116 | Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ | |
117 | Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) FDJ | |
118 | Dylan Kowalski (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
119 | Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
120 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
121 | Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
122 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
123 | Kevyn Ista (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
124 | Marco Mathis (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | |
125 | Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | |
126 | Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | |
127 | Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
128 | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data | |
129 | Adam Blythe (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
130 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
131 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | |
132 | Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport | |
133 | Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data | |
134 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
135 | Lawrence Naesen (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
136 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
137 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
138 | Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
139 | Sander Cordeel (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
140 | Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
141 | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
142 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
143 | Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
144 | Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:05:50 |
145 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie | |
146 | Romain Feillu (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
147 | Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data | |
148 | Yannick Martinez (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM | |
149 | Thibault Ferasse (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
150 | Bryan Alaphilippe (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
151 | Damien Gaudin (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
152 | Thomas Rostollan (Fra) Armee de Terre | |
153 | Nicolas Vereecken (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole | |
154 | Dorian Godon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
155 | Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
156 | Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
157 | Daniel Pearson (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
158 | Andrew Fenn (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | 0:07:00 |
159 | Alo Jakin (Est) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
160 | Michael Goolaerts (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
161 | Nicolas Baldo (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
162 | Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | 0:12:54 |
163 | Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | |
164 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro | |
165 | Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
166 | Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93 | |
167 | Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Armee de Terre | 0:19:34 |
DNF | Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Clement Orceau (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Alex Kirsch (Lux) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect |
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