2023 Paris-Tours Race Preview
The details of this year's 2023 Paris-Tours are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The roads of the Loire Valley will once again play host to one of cycling's most distinctive classics as the peloton heads to central France for what promises to be a fascinating edition of one of the oldest races on the calendar. Paris-Tours has long been known as the Sprinters' Classic, but the reality of this October showpiece is far more nuanced than that label suggests, and the riders who succeed here tend to be a very specific breed of puncheur-sprinter capable of enduring a long and often brutal day in the saddle before producing something special in the finale.
The race covers roughly 213 kilometres from Chartres, as has been the custom in recent years despite the traditional starting city in the name, finishing on the Avenue de Grammont in Tours, a wide and lengthy boulevard that has decided the race in a bunch sprint on many occasions but has also seen tactical races and late attacks rewarded when the conditions have conspired against the pure sprinters.
The route itself is deceptively demanding. The famous plateau of the Beauce gives way to the rolling terrain of the Touraine, and the coteaux, those short but sharp climbs through the vineyards in the final kilometres, can cause havoc in the bunch and shatter any illusions of a straightforward gallop to the line. The Côte de l'Épan and the surrounding roads in the closing stages are where races are typically made and lost, and any rider lacking the punch to follow accelerations up these drags will find themselves watching the decisive moves from behind.
The weather in October can be a significant factor in how the race unfolds. Previous editions have been transformed by wind and rain, with crosswinds in particular capable of splitting the peloton and turning what might have been a straightforward sprinters' day into something far more chaotic and unpredictable. Teams with strength in numbers will be alert to any opportunity to use the conditions to their advantage, and the possibility of echelons forming on the exposed roads of the Beauce is never far from the minds of the more tactically astute riders and directeurs sportifs.
Defending champion Mads Pedersen of Trek-Segafredo arrives as one of the riders most suited to this type of race. The Danish champion has built a remarkable record in the cobbled classics and one-day races that demand a combination of power and sprint, and his ability to handle difficult conditions and his strength in a reduced sprint make him an obvious candidate to go well once again. He will not be short of rivals, however.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck squad brings considerable firepower to a race that suits their style, and Jasper Philipsen, who has been in sensational form throughout much of the season, cannot be discounted despite this event perhaps being a touch longer and more demanding than his optimal terrain. The Belgian sprinter has shown genuine versatility and his team will do everything they can to set him up for a tilt at glory.
Biniam Girmay represents one of the most compelling narratives heading into the race. The Eritrean rider has taken significant strides forward throughout the season and has shown that he possesses not only the sprint to win at the highest level but also the tactical intelligence and physical resilience to be competitive in a race of this length and character.
Christophe Laporte of Jumbo-Visma is another name that demands serious consideration. The Frenchman has quietly assembled one of the finest one-day racing records of recent seasons and carries the additional motivation of performing well in his home country in front of French fans who have taken him to their hearts.
The pure sprinters will be there in numbers, eyeing an opportunity to contest a finish on what they hope will be a welcoming boulevard, and teams like Lotto Dstny and Cofidis will look to protect their fast men through the final difficult kilometres in hopes of setting up a traditional dash to the line.
Ultimately, Paris-Tours rewards preparation, patience, and a very particular kind of strength. It is a race for riders who can suffer through a long autumn day, respond to the defining moments in the final hour of racing, and then produce when it matters most on one of cycling's most iconic finishing straights.
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