2009 Paris-Tours

[craig1985]

On Sunday October 11.

Provisional start list - cyclingfever.com or even Paris - Tours start list - ASO

Although Valverde is not racing and Astana are not bothering (or weren't invited). Probably for the best since they don't have anybody to do anything of note in the race. I think Boonen will win if he can get his lead out train working well.

 

[il_fiammingo]

Greipel should do it. Although i expect an attack of Gilbert/Cancellara/Pozzato on the Petit Pas d'Ane.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think Gilbert will struggle to get away as everyone will be straight on to his move as he was last years victor. Cancellara will be my pick... but if it comes down to a sprint i think it will be between Farrar and Griepel. (Can't split them)

 

[Tugboat]

...if it comes down to a sprint i think it will be between Farrar and Griepel. (Can't split them)

I think it will come down down to a sprint and I pick Greipel beating Farrar into second.

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

After the Circuit Franco-Belge, I would expect to see a sprint coming down to Greipel, Farrar, Boonen and Hammond. None of the others seem likely to get up and beat these and I only throw Hammond in for the form he is holding from the Vuelta.

 

[blaxland]

this is a sprinters race so i think it will be FARRRRAARRRR.....to win

 

[auscyclefan94]

Imagine if Cav was riding Paris Tours. OMG!!!!! He would absoloutely kill everyone else especially if Columbia could get there leadout train right (which they do 99% of the time).

 

[velosiped]

Teams like Lotto, Saxo and the spanish ones will work hard to avoid a mass-sprint. I'm not so sure QuickStep want to sprint against Greipel/Farrar neither.
A break-away group will go all the way.
Gilbert, Breschel, Chavanel,Possato - at least one of them will be in the group - and one of them will win it.

 

[ak-zaaf]

this is a sprinters race so i think it will be FARRRRAARRRR.....to win

1997 Tchmil, Andrei
1998 Durand, Jacky
1999 Wauters, Marc
2000 Tafi, Andrea
2001 Virenque, Richard
2002 Piil, Jakob
2003 Zabel, Erik
2004 Dekker, Erik
2005 Zabel, Erik
2006 Guesdon, Frederic
2007 Petacchi, Alessandro
2008 Gilbert, Philippe

And in 2007 Devolder f-cked up the chances of him and Gilbert in the last km's or it would have been an escape victory again..

It's supposed to be a sprinters race, but usually it's not.

 

[Swingtop]

1997 Tchmil, Andrei
1998 Durand, Jacky
1999 Wauters, Marc
2000 Tafi, Andrea
2001 Virenque, Richard
2002 Piil, Jakob
2003 Zabel, Erik
2004 Dekker, Erik
2005 Zabel, Erik
2006 Guesdon, Frederic
2007 Petacchi, Alessandro
2008 Gilbert, Philippe

And in 2007 Devolder f-cked up the chances of him and Gilbert in the last km's or it would have been an escape victory again..

It's supposed to be a sprinters race, but usually it's not.

How did Virenque win this again?

 

[BeachBum]

How did Virenque win this again?

He attacked solo 12k after the start. Durand (naturally) bridged up to him and they stayed away all day. Virenque won the 2 up sprint.

 

[Echoes]

I hope there'll be no sprint. Hopefully the sprinters' teams are no longer motivated and an attacker can do it on Petit pas d'âne.

 

[Echoes]

Virenque won the 2 up sprint.

In my memory he left him behind on the climb but I may be wrong.

 

[nz-tim]

off topic, but

He attacked solo 12k after the start. Durand (naturally) bridged up to him and they stayed away all day. Virenque won the 2 up sprint.

Now Jacky Durand is a rider I would like to see still riding

 

[ak-zaaf]

In my memory he left him behind on the climb but I may be wrong.

He was solo on the finish, the pack just behind him.

 

[poltxu]

He attacked solo 12k after the start. Durand (naturally) bridged up to him and they stayed away all day. Virenque won the 2 up sprint.

Did you just make that up? ak-zaaf is right, this is how he really won:

 

[poltxu]

Here you have a link to a video of the finish:

http://www.strimoo.com/video/16425099/Paris-Tours-Richard-Virenque-Dailymotion.html

Edit: It is a replay of the 2001 finish during the french broadcast of the 2005 race.

 

[BeachBum]

Did you just make that up? ak-zaaf is right, this is how he really won:

No I went back in the CN archives (http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/2001/oct01/paristours/results.shtml), and it looks like I misread '2 up break' for '2 up sprint.'

Spotted Richard DID drop Durand 7k from the finish on a hill. My bad on that part.

But Virenque did go solo after 12K, and Durand did bridge--according to CN.

 

[poltxu]

No I went back in the CN archives (http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/2001/oct01/paristours/results.shtml), and it looks like I misread '2 up break' for '2 up sprint.'

Spotted Richard DID drop Durand 7k from the finish on a hill. My bad on that part.

But Virenque did go solo after 12K, and Durand did bridge--according to CN.

I watched it live on TV in Spain and I remember well with about 5 kms to go it didn't seem like Virenque would make it after being away all day. But he made it and one of the best climbers of his generation won the "sprinters classic".

 

[craig1985]

Or had plenty of you-know-what that we can't talk about in this forum.

 

[Anonymous]

Now Jacky Durand is a rider I would like to see still riding

Couldn't stand the guy. Suicide breaks should never be anyone's specialty...

 

[Hugh Januss]

Couldn't stand the guy. Suicide breaks should never be anyone's specialty...

No way, Jacky Durand filled hours of otherwise boring TV time with.........well Jacky Durand.

 

[Swingtop]

Or had plenty of you-know-what that we can't talk about in this forum.

My thoughts exactly, although I can only assume most of his generation used the same stuff.

 

[auscyclefan94]

1. Cancellara
2. Greipel
3. Farrar

 

[screaming fist]

Cancellara isn't even racing...