On 9th October, the Paris-Tours pack will set off from Dreux for a 252.5 kilometre journey on which the best sprinters' teams are unlikely to let the scenario of a bunched finish slip through their grasp. Spectators can look forward to one hell of a battle along Avenue de Grammont.

Normally, the perspective of Paris-Tours gives rise to talk of which race scenarios will lead to the crowning of one of the last big winners of the season. On recent editions, a rider who managed to take advantage of side-winds breaking up the pack, Matteo Trentin, succeeded another morning breakaway rider, Jelle Wallays, whilst in 2013 a bunch sprint witnessed the victory of John Degenkolb for his first triumph on a major classic. Over the last fifteen years, the titles have been more or less equally split between the speedy specialists of the Avenue de Grammont finish and the breakaway fighters better over longer distances, such as the current Olympic Champion, Greg van Avermaet, who also enjoyed his first major success in Tours in 2011. This year, however, it is very unlikely that the winner's bouquet will not end up in the hands of a sprinter. Indeed, many of the speedsters' teams will be in attendance to test their explosiveness. The proximity of the World Championships in Doha will add extra spice to the race, bearing in mind that the psychological blow of a victory weighs heavily in the battle between the fast men.

A majority of the favourites for the race in Qatar will also be the leading pretenders to the crown on the 110th edition of Paris-Tours. Though he dominated the sprints on the Tour de France, Mark Cavendish did not win in Tours on his only participation so far, which, coincidentally enough, was his first race with the rainbow jersey in 2011. The British rider perhaps has the opportunity to strike a major blow, but he will be up against the cream of the cream… and not only Sam Bennett who beat him several days ago on the finish of stage 2 on the Tour of Tuscany. André Greipel, who won the final Tour de France stage on the Champs-Elysées, “Cav's” favourite playground, also has his sights on triumph on Paris-Tours, just like Frenchmen Arnaud Démare, Nacer Bouhanni and Bryan Coquard, Australians Caleb Ewan and Michael Matthews, Belgian Tom Boonen or Italian Elia Viviani. Accompanied by their lead-out men, also in the midst of fine-tuning before Doha, the sprinters will most likely not give a chance to Marco Marcato, Sylvain Chavanel and Warren Barguil, for example. However, it would seem that Greg van Avermaet has been full of beans recently…

The main contenders:
South Africa
Team Dimension Data: Cavendish (Gbr), Sbaragli (Ita), R.Janse van Rensburg (Zaf)
 
Germany
Team Giant-Alpecin: Barguil (Fra), Oomen (Ned), De Kort (Ned)
Bora-Argon 18: Bennett (Irl), Archbold (Nzl)
 
Australia
Orica- BikeExchange: Matthews, Ewan (Aus), Keukeleire (Bel)
 
Belgium
Lotto-Soudal: Greipel (Ger), Debusschere, Roelandts (Bel)
Etixx - Quick Step: Boonen (Bel), Trentin (Ita), Gaviria (Col), Richeze (Arg)
Wanty - Groupe Gobert: Marcato (Ita), Veuchelen (Bel)
TopSport Vlaanderen - Baloise: Van Hecke (Bel)
 
USA
BMC Racing Team: Van Avermaet (Bel), Drucker (Lux)
 
France
AG2R La Mondiale: Turgot, Minard (Fra)
FDJ: Démare, Offredo (Fra)
Fortuneo - Vital Concept: Hivert (Fra), McLay (Gbr)
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits: Bouhanni, Laporte, Soupe (Fra)
Direct Energie: Chavanel, Coquard, Petit (Fra)
HP Btp - Auber 93: R.Feillu (Fra)
Delko Marseille Provence KTM: Duque (Col), Martinez (Fra)
Roubaix Lille Métropole: Barbier (Fra), Vantomme (Bel)
Armée de Terre: Poulhies, Rostollan (Fra)
 
Great Britain
Team Sky: Viviani (Ita), Roche (Irl)
 
Kazakhstan
Astana Pro Team: Guardini (Ita), Boom (Ned)
 
The Netherlands
Team Lotto-NL Jumbo: Hofland (Ned), Vanmarcke (Ned)
Roompot Oranje Peloton: Kreder (Ned)
 
Russia
Team Katusha: Guarnieri (Ita), Haller (Aut)
 
Switzerland
IAM Cycling: Naesen (Bel), Van Genechten (Bel)