The 118th edition of the Paris-Tours cycling classic was won this Sunday by Christophe Laporte after a race contested in chaotic conditions, with rain, wind and mud on the vineyard paths. The Frenchman raised his arms on avenue de Grammont. A first victory this season for Visma-Lease a bike rider. A few minutes after his victory, Christophe Laporte reacted, his face smeared with mud, to the microphone of France Bleu Touraine: “II am very happy. It was a complicated year for me, I hadn’t won since my European champion title last season. I’ve been waiting for this for a while. I am very happy to end the season like this because it was my last race of the season“.
The Frenchman won by beating his escape companion, the Czech Mathias Vacek (Lidl Trek). The peloton’s sprint was settled a few seconds later by the Belgian Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Deceunink).
This is the 35th French victory in 118 editions of Paris-Tours. Christophe Laporte succeeds the American Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech) and on the French side, Arnaud Démare, winner in 2021 and 2022.