Laporte finishes sixth in surprising Paris-Tours final, Jos van Emden bids farewell to professional cycling
French rider Christophe Laporte of Team Jumbo-Visma finished in sixth place at the Paris-Tours race, a surprising result given the challenging course and strong competition. Laporte suffered a puncture with 25 kilometers to go, but managed to rejoin a breakaway group and stay ahead of the reduced peloton. Despite not winning, Laporte was pleased with his performance, stating, “It was also nice to show off my European champion’s jersey to the French fans today.”
Team Jumbo-Visma’s sports director, Arthur van Dongen, reflected on the race, noting that everything was under control until the gravel roads where they lost a few riders. Dylan van Baarle and Christophe Laporte were the only two left for the final, but Laporte’s puncture at a crucial moment led to their loss. Despite this setback, van Dongen praised the team’s overall season, stating, “Today, we have finished a fantastic season.”
In addition to the race, Paris-Tours marked the end of an era for Jos van Emden, who rode his last professional race after seventeen seasons with Team Jumbo-Visma. Van Emden will now transition into a role as sports director for Team Jumbo-Visma Women starting in 2024. Reflecting on his career, van Emden expressed mixed emotions, saying, “I don’t know exactly what I’m feeling, but somehow it is a relief. I will miss the battles for victory and the many moments with my teammates.”
The Paris-Tours Elite race was won by Riley Sheehan of Israel-Premier Tech, followed by Lewis Askey of Groupama-FDJ in second place and Tobias Halland Johannessen of Uno-X Pro Cycling Team in third.
