Paris - Tours Elite 2024

October 6, 2024 Starting in the Cathedral town of Chatres, the riders head South towards Tours covering 214KM. The main features on the course are the 10 sectors of gravel called Chemin de Vigne, totaling 10KM through the villages and vineyards of La Loire. All of the categorized climbs and Chemin de Vigne are backloaded in the final 68KM and should cause fireworks. Edoardo Affini of Visma-Lease a Bike, Mikel Retegi of Equipo Kern Pharma, and Enzo Boulet of CIC U Nantes Atlantique went on the early attack and got a maximum advantage of 5 minutes and 10 second. Cériel Desal of Bingoal-WB was in the break but had a crash with Affini and was not able to get back up in time to re-join the group. With 91KM to go, the gap to the leaders was down to just 90 seconds with the chase being done by Lidl-Trek. Low cloud, mist, and rain pushed in and everyone was soaked through with 80KM to go. Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek was the first to attack. He went with about 70KM to go on a small rise in the road and a full peloton behind him in anticipation of the first Chemin de Vigne at Limeray. Pascal Ackermann of Israel-Premier Tech went with him but never offered a turn and was dropped on the Côte de Limeray. Pedersen was 1 minute behind the leaders but had 30 seconds on the peloton as he hit the first gravel. With the rain, it was all mud but there were no major incidents and most riders made it through still in the bunch. Pedersen bridged to the three leaders with 56KM to go with a lead of around 50 seconds. Pedersen found that none of the riders were going to work with him and all three sat on. Retegi and Boulet were dropped with 51KM to go on a short and steep climb, just before the Grosse Pierre sector. Søren Kragh Andersen of Alpecin-Deceuninck was doing the pace making in the peloton and had the gap steady at 30 seconds as they Chançay à Reugny at 41.5KM to go. He punctured with 37KM to go but another Alpecin-Deceuninck took his spot to keep the pressure on. Over the top of Côte de la Vallée du Vau, Christophe Laporte of Visma-Lease a Bike attacked from the bunch which was now around 35 riders. Mathias Vacek of Lidl-Trek tagged on and the pair caught Pedersen and Affini with 29KM to go but the rest of the peloton were breathing down their necks 21 seconds behind. Affini was dropped just 1KM later on the Côte de la Rochère. Pedersen was next to crack on the Chemin de Vigne du Peu Morier at 22.5KM from the line leaving just Laporte and Vacek at the front. After the final sector of Rochecorbon, the leading pair had expanded their lead to 35 seconds and they would not be caught. Laporte and Vacek hit 1.4KM to go, Vacek was stuck on the front and Laporte would not pull through. They came side by side with 300M to go and started their sprint at nearly the same time. Laporte got up to speed quicker and held his position to take the win. Vacek hung his head in defeat to take second place. Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck led the peloton home for third.