Tours (AFP)

The 113th edition of Paris-Tours, Sunday on 217 km, should appeal to classic hunters and the most resistant sprinters, because of ten kilometers of vineyards that could make the difference.

In addition to the Danish title holder Soren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb), the Dutchman Niki Terpstra (Total-Direct Energie), the Belgian Oliver Naesen (AG2R-La Mondiale) and especially the German Nils Politt, 2nd of Paris-Roubaix in the spring , could play on the same register.

As for the sprinters, Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) or Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept), they will try to make speak their peak speed ... if they are still there for the win in the last line.

The formula of unpaved gravel roads, capable of favoring a race of movements, was renewed, with a slightly reduced mileage (10.7 instead of 12.5 last year) and a retouched schedule.

The first trails will be taken after more than 160 km of race, while a portion of ten km, favorable to the grouping, will precede the second series of paths: 6.5 km grouped over a distance of 20 km and spread over 6 sectors.

Winner last year, at age 24, of his first classic after having already reached the podium in 2017, Andersen will start with the bib number 1. At the time of his offensive, the vineyards had precipitated the selection of the strongest .

- Be careful with the borders -

In the crossing exposed to the winds of Eure-et-Loir and Loir-et-Cher, it is above all borders that will preserve the favorites of the race. But after sending a wink to the castle of Amboise, they will certainly be led to count their teammates ... then to trust their instincts and their legs.

The chances of seeing a massive sprint are reduced, but the hypothesis of a grouped explanation between some super-strong cohabit perfectly with the possibility of a single winner, like Andersen last year to inaugurate this new formula.

In addition to Andersen, the Sunweb formation will also rely on its German sprinter Max Walscheid. Similarly, last year's runner-up, Terpstra, is aligned by TDE with Anthony Turgis, the recent winner of Paris-Chauny.

A calculation of the same barrel was made on the side of Groupama-FDJ, which counts on both Demare (2nd in 2016) and on its bronze medalist Yorkshire Worlds, the Swiss Stefan Küng.

Lotto-Soudal also plays on two boards, with the 2014 winner, Jelle Wallays, and Adam Blythe, or Cofidis with a similar duo composed of Laporte and Julien Simon.

Among the other contenders for a prestigious victory, Coquard, 5th in 2016, will return to the race. It will also monitor the former winner Marco Marcato (2012).

© 2019 AFP