Wallays wins two-man sprint to claim Paris-Tours

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Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise) took the biggest win of his career with victory over Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) in Paris-Tours on Sunday. The pair had been part of a break that formed in the early stages of the 237-kilometre race and held on all the way until the finish, managing to hold off the main favourites in the peloton with Jens Debusschere (Lotto Belisol) taking third.

Wallays, who won the same event at the under-23 level in 2010, delivered a tactically astute race, following Voeckler’s attack on the final climb when the remnants of the early break began to falter, and then forcing the more experienced Frenchman to lead the sprint out as the bunch desperately tried to get back on terms.

The leading pair had been part of a seven-man move that formed within the opening kilometres. Voeckler, looking to put a year disrupted by injury behind him was one of the first to instigate the attack with Wallays, Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty - Groupe Gobert), Cesare Benedetti (Team Netapp – Endura), Yoann Paillot (La Pomme Marseille), Pierre Gouault (BigMat - Auber 93) and Julien Duval (Roubaix Lille Metropole) joining the fray.

The race has a habit of bringing forward surprise winners but the dice were loaded in the sprinters’ teams favour, even when the break established a lead of over seven minutes.

Giant-Shimano's John Degenkolb and Arnaud Demare (FDJ.fr) had lined up in a wet and chilly depart as the main favourites and when they began to set their teams to work in the first half of the race it looked as though the WorldTour pedigree in the bunch would win out.

When the gap was reduced to two minutes with 30 kilometres remaining it looked as though the writing was on the wall but as the roads narrowed in the finale so did the sprinters’ chances.

Voeckler harried his companions to fight on as they tackled the third last climb of the Côte de Crochu as Giant-Shimano and FDJ slalomed through the corners. At the back of the field there were several crashes, one involving a race motorbike, as the wet roads, tired legs and last ditch efforts combined to take the sting out of the peloton.

Voeckler, Wallays, and Van Melsen powered clear, distancing the rest of the break before the Côte de Beau Soleil.

The gap to the trio was still ticking down but as the peloton hit the climb Sep Vanmarcke – just as he had done 12 months previously – attacked. The Belkin rider split the field, dragging with him a group containing Degenkolb, his Giant-Shimano teammate Ramon Sinkeldam and several others with him.

Sinkeldam was the power the break needed as they looked to cut across to the three leaders. Degenkolb’s presence, however, seemed to unsettle his rivals in the move as Vockler attacked up ahead and dragged Wallays with him.

Demare and FDJ were floundering, briefly unable to match Giant’s aggression but even when the leading duo hit the final climb of the Côte de l'Épan they still held a 30-second advantage.

If the bunch were going to react it had to be now. Degenkolb’s group had lost its urgency with riders either sitting up or launching attacks and it was Garmin who eventually brought the field back together.

Voecker and Wallays had been given too much room. They only relented in pace sharing once the finish was in sight, with Voeckler constantly looking over his shoulder as Wallays sat back and let the more experienced ride into the wind.

The Frenchman duly opened up his sprint inside the final 150 meters but there was already an air of resignation around him as he watched Wallays come around his left-hand side and take a comfortable win.

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