The 111th edition of the classic of the falling leaves was contested in cloudy and rainy weather conditions, with 17 degrees Celsius and a high air humidity in the neighborhood of 85 percent.

The riders crossed the start line of the 2017 Paris-Tours classic, which started in Brou near Paris and challenged its starters to a battle on the 234.5 kilometer route to Tours. Paris-Tours is known to be a late season favorite race for sprinters.

Last year's winner Fernando Gaviria (Team QuickStep Floors) was present at the start, hoping to repeat his victory, while competing sprint aces from other teams were also ready for the final classics battle of the 2017 season. Despite race organizer A.S.O. having integrated two minor hills in the final kilometers in order to annoy sprinters, stars taking the start included Lotto NL-Jumbo's Dylan Groenewegen, Phil Bauhaus (Team Sunweb) and Rick Zabel (Katusha), while Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) and Lotto-Soudal's German "Gorilla" Andre Greipel were both hoping to obtain some late-season success following a somewhat disappointing season.

Despite bringing Gaviria to the race, QuickStep Floors sports director Brian Holm was not reluctant to announce his great expectations for Matteo Trentin. "Matteo got to win the fastest edition ever two years ago. He proved his worth by winning four stages in the recent Vuelta a Espana. He is in excellent shape and will definitely be one to defeat today."

18 kilometers from the finish line, defending champion Gaviria crashed on the wet roads and the QuickStep support car offered him a lift back to the action of the day.

Team Roompot's Brian Van Goethem and Lawrence Naesen (WB) continued in their role as front breakaway duo, while Team AG2R - La Mondiale set a very high pace at the front of the peloton to catch the front duo and deter any attacks from potential breakaway hopefuls who were lurking behind, shopping for opportunities to accellerate and attack.

Team QuickStep's Matteo Trentin and Niki Terpstra formed a trio at the front with Team Sunweb's Soren Kragh Andersen and were in the lead with five kilometers to go, having a ten second lead.

A FDJ-led peloton fought hard to close the increasing gap, but it was the trio who would battle for the win.

The sprint was won by Trentin ahead of Kragh Andersen and Terpstra. The QuickStep man has had a very successful 2017 season for his team and delivered an average speed of 43.58 km/h in today's classic. He will ride for Team Orica-Scott in 2018.

Greipel won the sprint for fourth place.

"The light rain and wet roads made for a strung-out bunch, so on the first hill I said to myself it won't hurt to give it a go," race winner Trentin explained to Roadcycling.com.

"A first group formed, but then I went again and Niki (Terpsta) came across. We played perfect tactics and Niki did an incredible job and a provided a superb lead-out in the last kilometer. It's fantastic to end the season in such a manner. I want to thank the QuickStep Floors team for the past seven years. It has been an honor to ride with them and I'm proud to conclude my time with the team with a second victory in Paris-Tours."

Discover great deals on bikes, components, accessories and clothing in our bike shop and subscribe to our training tracker service to plan, track and analyze your cycling training. Pro cyclists from Cannondale-Drapac, Orica-Scott and Dimension Data use our training tracker to win professional races: Sign up now.

2017 Paris-Tours Results:
1    Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors    05:22:51
2    Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb      
3    Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors    0:00:01    
4    André Greipel (Ger) Team Lotto-Soudal    0:00:07    
5    Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors         
6    Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale         
7    Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors         
8    Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
9    Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb         
10    Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team         
11    Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
12    Lorenzo Manzin (Fra) Team FDJ          
13    Amund Grondahl Jansen (Nor) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo    0:00:10    
14    Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Team FDJ     0:00:12    
15    Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team    0:00:14    
16    Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team    0:00:22    
17    Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Team Lotto-Soudal         
18    Marc Sarreau (Fra) Team FDJ     0:00:28    
19    Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo         
20    Nikolas Maes (Bel) Team Lotto-Soudal         
21    Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Sunweb         
22    Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis - Solutions Credits         
23    Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
24    Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin         
25    Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise         
26    Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb    0:00:32    
27    Rudy Barbier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale    0:00:45    
28    Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors         
29    Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan         
30    Roy Jans (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect         
31    Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij         
32    Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij         
33    Kevin Le Cunff (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93         
34    Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team         
35    Damien Touze (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93         
36    Pierre Gouault (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93         
37    Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise         
38    Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
39    Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
40    Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect         
41    Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin         
42    Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
43    Emils Liepins (Lat) Delko Marseille Provence KTM         
44    Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM         
45    Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale         
46    Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect         
47    Piotr Havik (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin         
48    Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
49    Delio Fernandez (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM         
50    Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
51    David Menut (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93         
52    Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise         
53    Joey Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team         
54    Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis - Solutions Credits         
55    Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team         
56    Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data         
57    Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Werkilul (Eri) Dimension Data         
58    Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo         
59    Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Floors         
60    Timo Roosen (Ned) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo         
61    Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Den) Delko Marseille Provence KTM         
62    Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Sunweb         
63    Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie         
64    Kevin Reza (Fra) Team FDJ          
65    Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) Team FDJ          
66    Aime De Gendt (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise         
67    Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo         
68    Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
69    Michael Morkov (Den) Katusha-Alpecin    0:00:59    
70    Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo         
71    Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors    0:01:07    
72    Huub Duijn (Ned) Veranda's Willems Crelan    0:01:32    
73    Jarl Salomein (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise    0:01:36    
74    Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale         
75    Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect         
76    Jordan Levasseur (Fra) Armee de Terre    0:01:38    
77    Benjamin Thomas (Fra) Armee de Terre    0:02:06    
78    Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
79    Romain Le Roux (Fra) Armee de Terre         
80    Alan Riou (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro         
81    Angel Madrazo (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM         
82    Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis - Solutions Credits    0:02:09    
83    Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Aqua Blue Sport    0:02:20    
84    Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Aqua Blue Sport         
85    Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Delko Marseille Provence KTM    0:02:22    
86    Arjen Livyns (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan         
87    Andre Looij (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij         
88    Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise         
89    Stijn Devolder (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan         
90    Piet Allegaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise         
91    Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Dimension Data         
92    Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert         
93    Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Team Lotto-Soudal         
94    Bram Welten (Ned) BMC Racing Team         
95    Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij         
96    Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro         
97    Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo         
98    Romain Guillemois (Fra) Direct Energie    0:02:41    
99    Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie         
100    Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie         
101    Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij         
102    Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro         
103    Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin    0:04:13    
104    Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij    0:04:25    
105    Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij         
106    Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data         
107    Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Lotto-Soudal         
108    Léo Vincent (Fra) Team FDJ          
109    Max Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb         
110    Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale         
111    Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM         
112    Lander Seynaeve (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
113    Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect         
114    Joeri Calleeuw (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
115    Calvin Watson (Aus) Aqua Blue Sport         
116    Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Team FDJ          
117    Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Team FDJ          
118    Dylan Kowalski (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
119    Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
120    Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis - Solutions Credits         
121    Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Cofidis - Solutions Credits         
122    Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale         
123    Kevyn Ista (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect         
124    Marco Mathis (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin         
125    Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin         
126    Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro         
127    Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise         
128    Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data         
129    Adam Blythe (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport         
130    Jens Debusschere (Bel) Team Lotto-Soudal         
131    Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro         
132    Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport         
133    Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data         
134    Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team Lotto-Soudal         
135    Lawrence Naesen (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect         
136    Robert Wagner (Ger) Team Lotto NL - Jumbo         
137    Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis - Solutions Credits         
138    Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb         
139    Sander Cordeel (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan         
140    Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Veranda's Willems Crelan         
141    Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan         
142    Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij         
143    Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Sunweb         
144    Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie    0:05:50    
145    Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie         
146    Romain Feillu (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93         
147    Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data         
148    Yannick Martinez (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM         
149    Thibault Ferasse (Fra) Armee de Terre         
150    Bryan Alaphilippe (Fra) Armee de Terre         
151    Damien Gaudin (Fra) Armee de Terre         
152    Thomas Rostollan (Fra) Armee de Terre         
153    Nicolas Vereecken (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole         
154    Dorian Godon (Fra) Cofidis - Solutions Credits         
155    Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale         
156    Enzo Wouters (Bel) Team Lotto-Soudal         
157    Daniel Pearson (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport         
158    Andrew Fenn (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport    0:07:00    
159    Alo Jakin (Est) HP BTP - Auber 93         
160    Michael Goolaerts (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan         
161    Nicolas Baldo (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93         
162    Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro    0:12:54    
163    Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro         
164    Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro         
165    Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Floors         
166    Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra) HP BTP - Auber 93         
167    Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Armee de Terre    0:19:34    
DNF    Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) BMC Racing Team         
DNF    Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis - Solutions Credits         
DNF    Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie         
DNF    Clement Orceau (Fra) Direct Energie         
DNF    Alex Kirsch (Lux) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect