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First held in 1896, Paris-Tours reaches its 118th edition this year, so it is one of the oldest races in the international calendar. It matches Il Lombardia in the number of editions and is only surpassed by the 121 editions of Paris-Roubaix.

With a solidified position at the end of the season, the race shares with Il Lombardia the nickname of the “classic of the falling leaves.” In the French calendar, Paris-Tours is the last race of the year, and in Cycling Fantasy it will be the seventh and final race to be counted for the France 1.Pro ranking, awarding 10 beautiful Eiffel Tower trophies to the top 10 users on the cumulative results of one-day 1.Pro races held in France.

Route

Traditionally a classic for sprinters, in 2018 the nature of Paris-Tours changed radically, with the introduction of several gravel sectors in the final part of the route. These are known as “chemins de vigne”, unpaved roads between vineyards that give the race an autumnal Paris-Roubaix vibe. This edition will feature 10 gravel sectors reaching 10 km, combined with 8 short climbs, all of it concentrated in the last 70 km of the 215 km total route.

Favorites

Tough rouleurs and resilient sprinters with a good engine and bike-handling skills make up the ideal rider profile to achieve victory at the finale in Tours. Jasper Philipsen (1200), Mads Pedersen (1200), Arnaud De Lie (800), Stefan Küng (800), Christophe Laporte (600), Magnus Cort (600), Jonas Abrahamsen (600), Matteo Trentin (600), Mathias Vacek (400), Arnaud Démare (400), Anthony Turgis (400), Soren Kragh Andersen (400), Luca Mozzato (400), Mikkel Bjerg (400), Hugo Hofstetter (200), John Degenkolb (200), Florian Sénéchal (200), Oliver Naesen (200), and last year's race winner, Riley Sheehan (200), are among the favorites.

Photo: © A.S.O./ Gautier Demouveaux