In short
| Stage winner | Bobby JULICH |
 (yellow/white jersey) |
Bobby JULICH |
 (green/white jersey) |
Bobby JULICH |
 (blue jersey) |
Alberto CONTADOR |
All classifications
| Stage |
|---|
 |
• Individual time• Individual points • Best climber • Best young • Best team |
|
| Overall |
|
• Individual time• Individual points • Best climber • Best young • Best team |
Stage by stage
| P | Sunday 5 March | 4.8 km |
| Issy-les-Moulineaux > Issy-les-Moulineaux | ||
| 1 | Monday 6 March | 193 km |
| Villemandeur > Saint-Amand-Montrond | ||
| 2 | Tuesday 7 March | 200 km |
| Cerilly > Belleville | ||
| 3 | Wednesday 8 March | 168.5 km |
| Julienas > Saint-Etienne | ||
| 4 | Thursday 9 March | 193 km |
| Saint-Etienne > Rasteau | ||
| 5 | Friday 10 March | 201.5 km |
| Avignon > Digne-les-Bains | ||
| 6 | Saturday 11 March | 179 km |
| Digne-les-Bains > Cannes | ||
| 7 | Sunday 12 March | 135 km |
| Nice > Nice | ||
| Total | 1274.8 km | |
The race
Sunday 5 March 2006| prolog | Issy-les-Moulineaux > Issy-les-Moulineaux - 4.8 km |  |
|---|
The newsflashes
Julich wins prologue!
Last year’s winner Bobby Julich (CSC) wins the prologue in 6:07 ahead of Andrey Kashecjkin and Bradley McGee.
Third place for Contador
Spain’s Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros) just one second behind McGee for third spot.
Wiggins fifth
Another favourite, Briton Bradley Wiggins, comes in fifth in 6 :12
Third fastest for Boonen !
World road champion Boonen (Quick Step) in sparkling form with the third fastest time in 6 :10
Tenth fastest for Rous
France’s Didier Rous (Bouygues Telecom) provisional 10th in 6 :17
McGee in second place
Australia’s Bradley McGee (FDJeux) is second, 0.6 second behind Kashechkin. With three riders in the top six, a great team performance for Marc Madiot’s boys.
Popovych 19 seconds adrift
Ukraine’s Yaroslav Popovych, the Discovey Channel team leader, is also far from his best with a lowly 6 :27, some 19 seconds behind Kashechkin.
A good time for Casar
A fine team effort pour La Francaise des Jeux. After Vaugrenard, who is till third, Sandy Casar is fifth fastest in 6 :15
Zabriskie only 14th fastest
A disappointing time for Zabriskie in 6 :20 especially as the Team CSC rider was second in the recent Tour of California.
Zabriskie at the start
One of the main favourites, David Zabriksie, the Tour de France first stage winner, just started.
Samuel Sanchez on provisional podium
Spain’s Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel), already second in a Paris-Nice stage last year, clocked the second fastest time in just over 6 :10.
Top five standings
- Current top five standings:
- Andrey Kashechkin 6:08
- Benoit Vaugrenard 4 secs behind
- Rik Verburgghe 6 secs
- Matej Mugerli 7 secs
- Jerome Pineau 8 secs
Kashechkin new leader
Kazakh’s Andrey Kashechkin, who moved to Libery Seguros from Credit Agricole this season to help leader Alexandre Vinokourov, seizes the lead in 6 08 56.
Verbrugghe second fastest
Belgian Rik Verbrugghe, one of the world’s most experienced prologue specialists, is second, two seconds behind Vaugrenard while Matej Mugerli (Liquigas) is third, a further second adrift in 6 :15
Vaugrenard smashes best time
France’s Benoit Vaugrenard (FDJeux) is six seconds fastest than the trio of Vandevelde, Azevedo and Jalabert.
Vandevelde topples Azevedo
American Christian Vandevelde (Team CSC) ousts Azevedo from top spot for a handful of hundredths of a second.
Fast time for Jalabert
France’s Nicolas Jalabert (Phonak) is now second in the same second as Azevedo.
Provisional top five
- Current top five standings as follows :
- Jose Azevedo 6 :18
- Aleixei Markov 2 secs behind
- Robert Hunter 3 secs
- Benjamin Noval Gonzalez 4 secs
- Andriy Grivko 6 secs
Markov on Azevedo’s heels
Time trial specialist Alexei Markov of Russia (Caisse D’Epargne Iles Baleares) is on Azevedo’s heels in 6 :20
Chavanel disappoints
French time-trial champion Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) is rather disappointing with a time of 6 :29, 11 seconds behind Azevedo.
Good time for Clement
Dutchman Stef Clement (Bouygues Telecom) is 5th fastest in the same second as Aranaga.
Hunter second fastest
South Africa’s Robert Hunter, fourth in the Tour of Qatar, clocks second fastest time three seconds behind Azevedo.
Welcome on Paris-Nice
Welcome to Paris-Nice official website. The Race to the Sun live for the first time ! Keep connected for the start of the 4.8-km prologue in Issy les Moulineaux.