Laporte and Philipsen face off again, the last of Démare

October 10 ^th 2025 - 11:45

• The final classic of the year, Paris-Tours will bring together the specialists of the spring classics, determined to end the season on a high note. The top eight finishers from last year's race will meet again for a rematch on Sunday 12 October, including the top three finishers Christophe Laporte (1st), Mathias Vacek (2nd) and Jasper Philipsen (3rd).
• The 119th edition of Paris-Tours, which will start in Chartres, will feature nine climbs and nine vineyard paths in the final stretch. The scenario of a massive showdown on Boulevard Béranger could favour Philipsen. But other sprinters are also expected to be in contention, such as Laporte's teammates Olav Kooij and Matthew Brennan, as well as Arnaud De Lie and Ben Turner.
• Several former winners of the classic autumn race are on the list of participants, including Arnaud Démare, who will compete in the final race of his illustrious career on Sunday. Kicking off the event, the 83rd edition of Paris-Tours Espoirs and the 31st edition of the Kilomètre de Paris-Tours, reserved for cadet and junior boys and girls, will see the talents of tomorrow compete against each other.

The revised finish on Boulevard Béranger, a stone's throw from the former finish line on Avenue de Grammont, will not change the DNA of Paris-Tours, which takes place on vineyard roads. The concentration of nine roads and nine climbs in the last 70 kilometres promises a breathless finish between classics specialists. And the line-up for the 119th edition will bring together last year's big names, such as defending champion Christophe Laporte (Visma|Lease a Bike). After missing most of the season due to health problems, the Var native seems to be back in shape just in time to defend his crown (3rd in Binche-Chimay-Binche on Tuesday). His team will be fielding other formidable weapons, including sprinters Olav Kooij and Matthew Brennan – who have racked up 23 victories between them this season – as well as Dylan Van Baarle, winner of Paris-Roubaix in 2022, who will be competing in the race for only the third time.

The only rider to have kept up with Christophe Laporte before being beaten in the sprint last year, Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) will be able to rely on the experienced Jasper Stuyven. The defending champion will be accompanied by several former winners of the race, including John Degenkolb (2013), Matteo Trentin (2015 and 2017) and the soon-to-be-retired Arnaud Démare (2021 and 2022). On Sunday, the Picard will bring to a close his illustrious career, which includes 97 victories, two stages in the Tour, eight in the Giro and one monument, Milan-San Remo. Third last year after winning the sprint in the first peloton, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) hopes to finally win the autumn classic. Winner of the first Yellow Jersey of the 2025 Tour before an unfortunate withdrawal due to a crash, the Belgian is confident after his recent victory in the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro. Also in the top 8 last year, Mike Teunissen (4th), Alexis Renard (5th), Cees Bol (6th), Arnaud De Lie (7th) and Tom van Asbroeck (8th) are all expected to compete. Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), winner at Voiron in the Tour of Spain, is another of the big sprinters announced.

On the French side, all eyes will be on the last two winners of the French championship, both representing Décathlon AG2R La Mondiale: defending champion Dorian Godon, winner of the Coppa Bernocchi, and his predecessor Paul Lapeira, 4th in the Trois Vallées Varésines. Olympic silver medallist Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) will also be competing alongside Switzerland's Stefan Küng, as will the winner of the white roads stage of the 2024 Tour, Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies).

First off, Paris-Tours Espoirs will see some of the biggest talents in the U23 peloton battle it out. Last year's solo winner and recent third-place finisher in the Tour de Lombardie Espoirs, Antoine L'Hôte (Decathlon Ag2R La Mondiale) could become the first rider to win this race twice, which has revealed many champions (Tom Boonen, Tony Gallopin, Mike Teunissen, Jasper Philipsen, etc.). On the podiums of the World Time Trial Championships (3rd) and the European Road Race Championships (2nd), Maxime Decomble (Conti Groupama-FDJ) will be another French rider to watch. After winning both time trials at the European Under-23 Championships, Belgians Jonathan Vervenne (Soudal Quick-Step Development Team) and Matisse Van Kerckhove (Team Visma|Lease a Bike) are among the favourites.