“I was hoping that he would crack” – Lapeira and Gruels discuss Paris-Tours near miss

Matteo Trentin rolled back the years at Paris-Tours, sprinting to victory at 36 in what was his final race of the season, and his first win of the year. The Tudor Pro Cycling Team rider outkicked Christophe Laporte and Albert Philipsen in a tense finale that capped off a chaotic edition of the French classic. Narrow roads, gravel sections, punctures and constant reshuffles shaped a race of survival and nerve more than control.

As often happens in this unpredictable event, the day was dictated by bad luck and split-second gambles. The early break was reeled in with 48 kilometres remaining, and soon after, favourites Arnaud De Lie and Jonas Abrahamsen suffered punctures. Paul Lapeira and Thibaud Gruel seized the moment to attack, only for Laporte, Trentin, Stefan Bissegger and Lidl-Trek’s Philipsen and Mathias Vacek to bridge across inside the final kilometre.

Paul Lapeira told Le Gruppetto, “We raced. We know each other well with Gruel, so we know that both of us will do well in the sprint. I wasn’t sure of my chances, so I knew that I had Bissegger behind me. I allowed myself to play, he held up mentally. I was hoping that he would crack.”

Thibaud Gruel reflected on his own late-game gamble: “In hindsight, we feel a bit silly looking at each other. I took the gamble, I said to myself ‘damn, it’s just a game, I’m going to have fun all the way, I don’t give a damn. I want to win or nothing else.’ I played, I don’t regret it but 5th place, it’s a bit tough.”