Paris-Tour has a long history, and the first edition dates back to 1896, although, at that time, the race was still an amateur race. In the past, the race was part of the prestigious World Cup, making it among the most important one-day races of the season. For several years, the race was also part of the ProTour, the forerunner of the WorldTour. That changed in 2008; the race thus lost status (and also the field of participants).

In the past, the one-day race was often a battle between the attackers and the sprinters. The difficulty was often in the finale with a combination of relatively easy climbs. It regularly provided an exciting spectacle, remaining exciting until the last moment. The organization finally wanted something different and introduced gravel sections in 2018, much to the annoyance of Patrick Lefevere (Soudal-Quick Step team manager). While his team participated in the first gravel edition and almost won it with Niki Terpstra, his team has been absent since then. The ever-stubborn team boss will keep at it in 2024. The gravel roads did give the course a spectacular boost. Last season, American Riley Sheehan managed to fool the peloton.

2023 RileySheehan
2022 Arnaud Démare
2021 Arnaud Démare
2020 Casper Pedersen
2019 Jelle Wallays
2018 Soren Kragh Andersen
2017 Matteo Trentin
2016 Fernandon Gaviria
2015 Matteo Trentin
2014 Jelle Wallays

Although the name suggests it, the race does not start in Paris but in Chartres, located about a hundred kilometers southwest of the French capital. The one-day race demands a lot from the riders as the distance, at 213 kilometers, surpasses the two-hundred-kilometer mark considerably. In the past, when the race was still one of the most important one-day races, it was much longer at 250 kilometers. However, classic riders will not be bothered by the distance of over two hundred kilometers.

The first 140 kilometers of Paris-Tours are nothing special, with mostly flat roads. However, the danger of the wind is always lurking; in the past, the peloton often enough broke up into echelons. However, the wind is uncertain, and you can't automatically adjust your course. You can do that as a team on the last seventy kilometers when the hill and gravel zone starts. The finale has eight climbs and no less than ten gravel strips. The first stretch will undoubtedly cause stress in the peloton, but they are alright. Also, after these stretches, it takes a while until the next one, so there can be some rectification by riders who had bad luck or were poorly positioned.

That will become more complicated from stretch three. Indeed, from then on, there is almost a constant succession of gravel lanes and climbs until about ten kilometers from the finish. Some climbs are accompanied by gravel strips, which makes it even harder for the riders. The most difficult climbs are the Côte du Goguenne (650 meters at 7.2%), Côte du Bois Chancay (750 meters at 6.6%) and the Côte de la Rochére (400 meters at 8.7%). The Rochére, with several hundred meters at more than ten percent, is ideal for forcing something. After all the obstacles, about ten more flat kilometers follow to the finish, where another exciting battle could occur between the strongest remaining riders.

Weather
The riders will most likely not keep it dry on Sunday. Rain, to a greater or lesser extent, is expected in both Chartres at the start and Tours at the finish. The temperature will be slightly below 20 degrees, and the wind will blow from the south with a wind force of 3.

Times
Start: 12:10 pm
Finish: Between 4:50-17:15 pm  

Gravel roads and short climbs will be music to the ears of Danish bear Mads Pedersen. The Lidl-Trek rider is still in great shape after a long season, judging by his thirteenth place at the recent World Championships on a course that was certainly not made for him. Pedersen can already rely on strong helpers, and with young Czech Mathias Vacek, Lidl-Trek has another iron in the fire.

Visma | Lease had hoped to travel to France with sprinter Olav Kooij, but the young sprinter had to end his season due to a knee injury. So, who will be there on behalf of the Killer Bees? What about Christophe Laporte? The Frenchman has all the attributes to fight for the win in this race, but he only sometimes succeeded in his nine previous participations. However, his sixth place last year should give him courage. Visma | LaB can count on the solid young Norwegian Per Hagenes and man-in-shape Edoardo Affini. Usually, the latter has to give way to the leader, but given his recent form, he may have a free role.

Alpecin-Deceuninck is counting on their sprinter, Jasper Philipsen. In a sprint, few are faster, and he can also handle a trickier course. However, the Belgians must hope that a small group cannot escape all the chaos. The Belgian team also has an attacking option with Søren Kragh Andersen. Another Belgian sprint cannon is Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny). The Walloon is still in good shape despite a hard season, as his victory in Binche-Chimay-Binche proved. Teammates Jenno Berckmoes and Alec Segaert can also be expected to play a role in the final.

Besides Laporte, French hopes rest mainly with Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), a two-time winner. Another two-time winner is experienced Italian Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling). The future Visma | Lease a Bike rider Axel Zingle (currently Cofidis) can also be expected to make a difference, especially on the hills. Stefan Küng is in French service but not a Frenchman. The Swiss hard rider knows how to deal with unpaved roads and will undoubtedly put the competition under pressure. Possibly, Küng can make a pact with the filthy cycling Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility). Also, watch out for his teammates Tobias Halland Johannessen and the ever-dangerous and unpredictable Magnus Cort.

Intermarché-Wanty has a nice team with fast men and attackers. In case of a sprint from a depleted group, they can aim for Estonian Madis Mihkels and Frenchman Hugo Page. They have the reborn Taco van der Hoorn and the resilient Laurenz Rex for the attack. At UAE Team Emirates, there are no clear favorites. However, with Mikkel Bjerg and top talent Antonio Morgado, they have two men who should be able to go far.

In the previous edition, Riley Sheehan provided a spectacular stunt by winning. While few had heard of him at the time, he has shown he is WorldTour-worthy this season with solid performances. Frisian autumn revelation Jelte Krijnsen (Q36.5) might just be the next surprise, but given his recent performances, including two wins, we might not be able to speak of a surprise anymore. On behalf of Vuelta stunt team Equipo Kern Pharma, 24-year-old Pau Miquel will be the one to watch out for, as he is fast at the finish line and certainly not afraid of the climbs in Paris-Tours. Finally, Anthony Turgis and Sandy Dujardin of TotalEnergies are outsiders looking for a good classification.

Top favorites: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny)
Outsiders: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Axel Zingle (Cofidis), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek)
Longshots: Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), Per Hagenes (Visma | Lease a Bike), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty), Jelte Krijnsen (Q36.5), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), Pau Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma), Mikkel Bjerg and Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates), Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Dstny) and Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech)

Paris-Tours will air Sunday at 3 p.m. on Eurosport 1, HBO Max, and Discovery+. Sporza will also be there. The Belgians will broadcast the race at 3:30 p.m. on VRT Canvas.