the essential
For the seventh year, the last kilometers of the last French classic which takes place on Sunday October 6 will be marked by vineyard paths, ten in total and soaked, a first! Spotlight on the Albigensian from ASO who leads the Touraine event, 118th of the name. Departure at 12:10 p.m. from Chartres.
On the Chemin des Épinettes, soaked by the rain of the last few days, Cédric Coutouly wears sneakers and perhaps regrets the boots. “Sunday, for sure, it won’t be dusty!” explains the former Tarn rider who became director of Paris-Tours within ASO. The reconnaissance of the ten vineyard paths on Tuesday raised some questions, particularly on this passage, especially as many showers are expected this Sunday. For the seventh time, the venerable French classic which will say goodbye to the legendary Avenue de Gramont, already shortened (priority to the tramway), will experience a finale spiced up by eight hills and the famous stone sectors.
“I was looking for a hill, I found a path…”
“In 2018, I was looking for new difficulties when I took one of these paths, recalls the inventor of the new version of Paris-Tours, I found that it went quite well, I had some made another, and I suggested that to Thierry (Editor’s note: Gouvenou technical director ASO)…” Already very involved on the cobblestones of Roubaix, “Coutoul” has become a specialist. “However, the few cyclo-crosses I did I was downright bad” he laughs.
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“In fact, the city of Tours was seeking to highlight the banks of the Loire, which is what pushed us to explore the north of the city and arrive at the famous find, criticized at the time [Lefevere a juré qu’il ne ramènerait plus son Wolfpack, Tim Merlier aurait pourtant aimé aujourd’hui se joindre à Philipsen, De Lie, Pedersen, Démare où le jeune Sheehan vainqueur sortant] and installed from now on.” Links have been forged, a partnership with the wines of Vouvray, Château Valmer, the only private section…
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“The volunteers help us with the interview with Philippe Thierry, they play a bit the same role as the friends of Paris-Roubaix. A paved sector, once it is in place, it holds; a path with gravel, it’s moving…”
Thanks to this experience, the Tour de France, after the girls earlier, was able to take the paths of Champagne this summer for a spectacular stage. Cédric Coutouly is happy: his idea was not so bad. Soon he will be in the front row.
