2026 Paris-Tours Race Preview & Route Profile
The details of this year's 2026 Paris-Tours are falling into place. Find the race profile and map below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
Like Il Lombardia, Paris-Tours is celebrating its 120th edition. Long-known as “the sprinters’ Classic”, the French race has been regaining some of its lost prestige in recent seasons, partly as a result of the introduction of several gravel sections through Loire Valley vineyards late in the event, which has broken the traditional and very predictable template that tended to result in a huge bunch sprint on the broad acres of the Avenue de Grammont in Tours.
The last three winners are on the start-list. Defending champion Matteo Trentin has won Paris-Tours three times and a fourth success would make him the all-time record-holder. The Italian veteran was quickest of a five-rider breakaway group last year, outsprinting 2024 winner Christophe Laporte and Albert Withen Philipsen for the title. Trentin will be backed by Stefan Küng and Luca Mozzato in a strong Tudor team.
Laporte will have plenty of firepower backing him up in the Visma-Lease a Bike ranks as well. Edoardo Affini and Per Strand Hagenes are, like the Frenchman, dependable campaigners in tough Classics of this type.
2023 winner Riley Sheehan will be lining up at NSN Pro Cycling with the rider he beat into second place that year, Lewis Askey, and both are in good form. Sheehan was part of the American team that helped Brando McNulty win the world title in Montreal last month, while Askey was a stage-winner at the Tour of Britain earlier in September.
Belgium has three very strong cards to play in Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier and Arnaud De Lie. Third in 2024, Philipsen is a sprinter who can more than hold his own in the northern Classics. As a result, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider will be equally confident in his chances if the race goes to a group sprint or the finale is more open and brings attack-minded riders to the fore.
Merlier has never previously raced Paris-Tours, but is the form sprinter. Winner of 12 races this season, including three stages at the Tour de France, the Soudal-Quick Step rider will be counting on strong backing from Yves Lampaert, Dylan van Baarle and Jasper Stuyven.
In what’s his last appearance in a big race before his departure from Lotto-Intermarché to Tudor Pro Cycling, Arnaud De Lie will be aiming to sign off with a good performance, although illness has hindered his form in recent months.
As well as Laporte, France boasts several other riders who will fancy their chances. Decathlon’s Paul Lapeira edged out new world champion McNulty at the Coppa Agostoni last weekend to underline his current form. Dorian Godon will be another home rider to watch on a Netcompany-Ineos team that also features his compatriot Axel Laurance.
Groupama-FDJ United have a trio of likely candidates for victory, headed by French champion Romain Grégoire. He’ll be racing alongside Vuelta a España stage-winner Bastien Tronchon and Thibaud Gruel, who was fifth in this race last year.
Uno-X Mobility will fancy their chances whether the race goes the way of a breakaway or ends with a bigger group sprint. Jonas Abrahamsen is their principal candidate for success from a small escape group, while Tour stage-winner Søren Wærenskjold and Rasmus Tiller will both relish a bunch sprint after a race as hard as this.
Keep an eye out too for XDS-Astana’s Alessandro Romele, who had no fewer than seven top 10 finishes during a hugely impressive Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta last month. The Italian might prefer a course that’s little hillier, but he showed in Spain that he can be a threat on any terrain outside the high mountains.
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