BiciRace.com :: 2006 Paris-Tours

2006 Paris-Tours, Preview

Paris-Tours, France

8 October, 254.5K

Century Edition of Sprinters' Classic

Overall Map, Profile
Startlist
Photos
Report and Results
2005 Results

Zabel: winner of the 1994, 2003 and 2005 editions, photo: © Unipublic

Paris-Tours is synonymous with the autumn and the end of the season. This year, Sunday, 8 October, the Classic will be celebrating its hundredth edition, and will welcome 25 teams. The ProTour classified event will consist of all 20 ProTour teams, plus five additional Professional Continental Teams.

The Paris-Tours peloton will depart from the town of St-Arnoult-en-Yvelines (close to Paris), heading south for 254.5 kilometers, before arriving on the famed l'Avenue de Grammont in Tours. The race, although "flat" has an unpredictable character. First because of its geographical path, which means the peloton can be pushed along at full speed by the wind or face a long day in a head-wind. Furthermore, with the time-slot on the calendar the weather can be unpredictable. The tifosi might be in their light cotton shirts or dressed in leather jackets under umbrellas.

The geographical path

The French race is well known as a sprinters' classic but being a sprinter is certainly no assurance of victory. Take Richard Virenque as an example: The waif like ex-climber caught 'em all napping back in 2001 and nailed what was, in our opinion, one of his finest victories ever. Most often, the l'Avenue de Grammont does offer up sprinting madness, like when Erik Zabel took his third win, and last for T-Mobile, in the 2005 edition.

Benna, 2nd in 2005, hot favorite, photo: www.ciclismovitamia.it

Zabel will be back in the century edition with new squadra Milram but we think a rider like Italian Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital), second in 2005, is the hot favorite. Other riders to watch will be Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto), Uros Murn (Phonak) and Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC). Stay tuned for Sunday.

The teams (ProTour followed by five non-ProTour): Ag2R Prévoyance (FRA), Bouygues Telecom (FRA), Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears (ESP), Cofidis (FRA), Crédit Agricole (FRA), Davitamon-Lotto (BEL), Discovery Channel (USA), Euskaltel-Euskadi (ESP), Française des Jeux (FRA), Gerolsteiner (Ger), Lampre-Fondital (ITA), Liquigas (ITA), Phonak (SUI), Quick-Step (BEL), Rabobank (HOL), Saunier Duval-Prodir (ESP), T-Mobile (Ger), Team CSC (DAN), Milram (ITA), Astaná (ESP), Agritubel (FRA), Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen (BEL), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago (BEL), Skil-Shimano (HOL) and Unibet.com (BEL).

Past Winners (from 1980):

2005 Erik Zabel (Ger)
2004 Erik Dekker (Ned)
2003 Erik Zabel (Ger)
2002 Jakob Storm Piil (Den)
2001 Richard Virenque (Fra)
2000 Andrea Tafi (Ita)
1999 Marc Wauters (Bel)
1998 Jacky Durand (Fra)
1997 Andrei Tchmil (Ukr)
1996 Nicola Minali (Ita)
1995 Nicola Minali (Ita)
1994 Erik Zabel (Ger)
1993 Johan Museeuw (Bel)

1992 Hendrik Redant (Bel)
1991 Johan Capiot (Bel)
1990 Rolf Sorensen (Dan)
1989 Jelle Nijdam (Ned)
1988 Peter Pieters (Ned)
1987 Adri Van Der Poel (Ned)
1986 Phil Anderson (Aus)
1985 Ludo Peeters (Bel)
1984 Sean Kelly (Irl)
1983 Ludo Peeters (Bel)
1982 Luc Vandenbroucke (Bel)
1981 Jan Raas (Ned)
1980 Daniel Willems (Bel)