Matteo Trentin rolls back time with stunning Paris-Tours victory

Matteo Trentin (Tudor) sprinted to victory from a reduced group in a nail-biting finish to Paris-Tours 2025, his 3rd victory at the race and first since 2017.

The 36-year-old Italian was part of a select group of four riders, formed by defending champion Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike), alongside Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl-Trek), who were chasing the front duo of Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ) and Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), who escaped clear with around 40 km remaining.

The French duo out front began to play games with one another inside the final kilometre, allowing the chase group to return. Trentin took his opportunity, using his speed and race craft to win the sprint ahead of Laporte and Philipsen.

In a cruel twist of fate for Groupama-FDJ and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, both Lapeira and Gruel missed out on the podium, ending fourth and fifth, the price paid for rolling the dice and refusing to work with each other when it mattered most.

For Trentin, it’s his first victory in over a year, and the 36-year-old becomes the oldest winner in Paris-Tours’ 119-year history, and the joint record holder with three wins. 

A group of six riders formed the early breakaway, including Oliver Knight (Cofidis), Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Johan Jacobs (Groupama-FDJ), Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché–Wanty) and Kenny Molly (Van Rysel–Roubaix).

Knight and Labrosse were the first two to be distanced from the breakaway, and with 60 km remaining, the quartet’s advantage over the peloton was just under a minute. The remnants of the break were swept up with 49 km to go on an uphill drag due to the relentless pace and nerves in the bunch, just before the Chemin de Vigne de la Grosse Pierre gravel sector.

This was where Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike) was among those distanced from the peloton as Matteo Trentin (Tudor) pushed the pace and created a split. The split was soon closed, but a series of opportunistic attacks followed in a very tactical yet decisive phase of the race.

One of those on the move was Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), who managed to open up a gap on a narrow rolling section of road. The British rider didn’t persist with his solo effort, instead waiting for company. Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl–Trek) attacked at this point with Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates–XRG) on his wheel.

Philipsen’s move initially created a small group including his teammate Mathias Vacek (Lidl–Trek), with the Czech champion looking particularly strong, though the group swelled to around 30 riders with 40 km remaining.

There were more attempts to go clear on the road sections, including one from a St Michel–Mavic–Auber93 rider, but it was the move by Thibaud Gruel (Groupama–FDJ) and Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) that proved decisive, as the duo built a solid advantage ahead of the next gravel section, the Chemin de Vigne de Noizay.

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto–Dstny) suffered an ill-timed mechanical before the Noizay sector, just as the peloton accelerated, leaving the Belgian chasing about 40 seconds behind.

Lapeira and Gruel cooperated well, and after initially dangling just in front of the peloton, they extended their advantage to over 40 seconds with around 22 km remaining, helped by a lack of coordination in the bunch.

On the Côte de la Vallée Chartier climb with 21 km remaining, the situation flipped as Covi attacked from the peloton, with Philipsen on his wheel.

The climb led directly onto the Chemin de Vigne du Peu Morier gravel section, where Covi and Philipsen were caught by the peloton. French champion Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) found himself distanced from the group.

Defending champion Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) rolled the dice with an attack shortly after the Peu Morier sector. This proved to be a key moment, with a group of five forming: Laporte, Philipsen, Vacek, Trentin and Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale).

Laporte, Philipsen, Vacek and Trentin were willing to cooperate to stay clear of the chasers, who were 20 seconds behind, and to catch Gruel and Lapeira, who were 15 seconds ahead. Bissegger, however, did not contribute to the chase, as his teammate Lapeira was still up the road.

After the final gravel sector, the Chemin de Vigne de Rochecorbon, which saw little decisive action, the front duo held 15 seconds over the chasers with 11 km remaining, while the peloton trailed by 35 seconds.

On the final climb, the Côte de Rochecorbon, with 9 km to go, Laporte launched another attack in a last-ditch attempt to catch the front duo. This effort dropped Vacek from the group, but despite Laporte’s push, the gap to the leaders remained around 10 seconds with 5 km left.

Inside the closing kilometre, Lapeira and Gruel began playing cat and mouse, almost coming to a standstill, which allowed the chasers to regain contact.

Bissegger led out the sprint, with Gruel launching first, but ultimately it was Trentin who proved fastest to the line.