Argos Shimano's John Degenkolb recorded his sixth victory of the season when he won the 107th Paris-Tours Elite.
Julien Duval (Roubaix - Lille Métropole), Yannick Martinez (La Pomme Marseille), Aleksejs Saramotins (IAM Cycling) and Sebastian Lander (BMC) were the race's main escapers.
They had a lead of more than eleven minutes, but when the big teams decided to close them down, the gap dropped dramatically.
Only, Saramotins was decided to try and stay away but with ten kilometres remaining, he was brought back by the peloton.
Vacansoleil's Marco Marcato, Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) and John Degenkolb of Argos Shimano attacked and were joined by Anaud Demare (FDJ.fr), Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma – Quick-Step), Michael Morkov (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Jetse Bol (Belkin), who was on his own going under the flam rouge.
But with the peloton in full flight, he was caught and John Degenkolb of Argos Shimano took the win ahead of Morkov and Demaré
“It was a fast and hectic race,” said Degenkolb to the Argos Shimano Press Office after his win. “The situation was always changing. We had a good plan and I think we rode a smart race. There was always someone from our team in the important groups, and there was always someone to take responsibility for the chase.
“When everything came together and it was clear that we were heading for a bunch sprint, there was one rider from Belkin still off the front, and it was up to our team to bring him back. It was not easy, but the guys were really strong, and we did it and were ready to sprint.
“This is a big highlight in my career and it means a lot to me. I showed again that I can handle the one-day classics very well, and this is now the next step after the win in the Vattenfall Cyclassics Hamburg.
“Thanks to the team for their excellent support today. This was my last race of the season, and I can’t think of a better way to end the season.”