In short
| Stage winner | Tom BOONEN |
 (yellow/white jersey) |
Tom BOONEN |
 (green/white jersey) |
Tom BOONEN |
 (red polka dotted jersey) |
Stéphane AUGE |
 (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
Monday 6 March 2006| stage 1 | Villemandeur > Saint-Amand-Montrond - 193 km |  |
 |
|---|
The newsflashes
17:06Climber’s jersey to Auge
While Tom Boonen also leads the points classification, Stephane Auge earned the climber’s polka dot jersey thanks to his long breakaway.
17:04Boonen simply too strong
The world champion gave a real show of strength. Davis attacked first on the left of the final stretch and was soon caught by the Belgian sprint supremo, who easily outpowered the Australian for another impressive win.
17:01Boonen ahead of Davies and Ventoso
Boonen wins ahead of Australian Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros) and takes the overall lead after finishing fifth in Saturday’s prologue, three seconds behind American Boby Julich.
Spain’s Francisco Ventoso (Saunier Duval) is third.
Boonen wins 1st stage
Tom Boonen wins the first stage.
16:56Davitamon Lotto also work hard
Davitamon Lotto riders also work hard for Tom Steels but above all Gert Steegmans.
16:54Boonen team-mates in the lead
Boonen’s Quick Step team-mates lead in the final five kilometres, preparing the sprint for their leader.
16:51Auge and Laurent are caught
End of the breakaway for Auge and Laurent, who had broken clear after 60 kms. The two were caught six kilometres from the line. The final say will probably now go to the sprinters.
16:44Gap reduced to one minute
Twelve kilometres left and the gap is now cut to one minute. It will be hard for the two leaders...
16:38Result at the top of La Vieille Cote
Result at the top of the third category La Vieille Cote climb (km 174.5)
1. Auge
2. Laurent
3. Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) 1:50 behind
Result of the 2nd intermediate sprint
Result of the 2nd intermediate sprint (km 173):
1. Laurent
2. Auge
3. Cedric Vasseur (Quick Step)
Laurent attacks in vain
Christophe Laurent tried to attack Augé in La Vieille Cote but to no avail as he was soon reined in by his breakaway companion.
16:34The bunch 2:10 behind on the ine
The peloton, led by Cedric Vasseur, crosses the line in turn 2:10 behind Laurent and Auge.
16:31The two leaders on the finish line
Stéphane Augé and Christophe Laurent cross the line for the first time. Still 19.4 kms to go before the real finish.
16:25The bunch in the very centre of France
The bunch rides through Bruere-Allichamps, the exact centre of France, 3:20 behind the leading pair of Auge and Laurent 24 kms from the finish.
16:21Rain on the finish line
Rain is now falling on the finish line in St Amand Montrond. Reminder that the bunch will cross the line a first time before a final 19.4-km around St Amand including a third category climb, La Vieille Cote.
16:14Lead down to five minutes
The lead of the two escapees is down to five minutes with 35 kms left before the finish in St Amand.
16:05The bunch getting closer
After 149.5 kms, the gap left was down to 6:05 between Auge, Laurent and the pack.
15:58Gap at 7:15 after 145 kms
Auge and Laurent’s lead is now cut down to 7:15 with 48 kms left in the stage.
15:48Lead keeps diminishing
The lead of the two breakaways down at 8:15, 52 kms from the finish.
15:38The chase gathers momentum
Riders from Quick Step=Innergetic and Lampre-Fodital launch the chase as the lead is reduced to 9:20 at km 124.
15:34Result of the first intermediate sprint
Result of the first intermediate sprint at Ste Thorette (km 123)
1. Laurent
2. Augé
3. Wilfried Cretskens (Quick Step) and the bunch at 9:35
The leading pair more than 10 minutes ahead
The lead of the breakaways reaches 10:05 at km 108.
15:20The race speeds up
After a slow start for the first two hours, the average speed has increased — 42.5 kph in the third hour.
15:05French hopes
The stage is far from finished but should Auge and Laurent make it to the finish line, they might battle it out for the first French stage win since 2002, when Laurent Jalabert won in St Etienne.
14:59Lead reaches 9:30
Auge and Laurent keep gaining ground, now leading by 9:30 after 106 kms.
14:54Bunch at feeding zone
The bunch reaches the feeding zone at kilometer 95.5
14:50Gap stable at 8:50
The gap between leaders Auge and Laurent and a frozen bunch all dressed in rain gear is stable at 8:50.
14:42Average speed at 33.4 kph
The average speed in the first hour of the race was 33.2 kph and 33.6 kph in the second.
14:40Augé and Laurent widen gap in the rain
Augé and Laurent’s lead now reaches 8:55 at kilometre 84. The two cooperate perfectly while a thick rain nearing on snow is falling on the bunch.
14:28The two now lead by 5:25
Stephane Auge and Christophe Laurent now lead by 5:25. Auge is the race virtual overall leader. He was 143rd in the prologue 34 seconds behind Julich with Laurent 158th, 38 seconds adrift.
14:10Auge and Laurent team-up
Stephane Auge and Christophe Laurent lead by 2:50 at km 70. They know one another well, having been team-mates at Jean Delatour in 2002.
14:03Augé and Laurent in the lead
Two Frenchmen Stéphane Augé (Cofidis) and Christophe Laurent (Agritubel) broke away at km 60. Their lead four kilometres later is of one minute.
13:47Bunch packed at relaxed pace
At km 55, the bunch is packed and progresses at a steady put relaxed pace.
13:46Zabriskie caught at km 51
Zabriskie stops his effort and is caught at km 51.
13:24Zabriskie lead down to 3:45
Zabriskie’s lead is down to 3:45 after 40 kms. The chase is now led by several teams including Quick Step, Caisse D’Epargne-Illes Balears and Gerolsteiner. Tom Boonen is quietly waiting at the back of the bunch.
13:12Boonen’s Quick Step chasing
Tom Boonen’s Quick Step team-mates are chasing behind Zabriskie.
13:10Zabriskie in favourite effort
Zabriskie now leads the bunch by 5:15 at km 37 after holding a maximum lead of 7:40. The first leader of the last Tour de France is much more at ease on his own than elbowing his way inside the bunch.
12:50Steels on familiar terrain
Of all the riders at the start, Belgium’s Tom Steels is by far the one with most wins in Paris-Nice with seven stage victories between 1997 and 2000.
12:48Zabriskie alone in front
Probably spurred by his average prologue, David Zabriskie broke clear after 13 kms. At km 21.5, the American (Team CSC) leads by 4:50
12:44Inspiration for Julich
Since 1933, ten riders have held the leader’s jersey from start to finish:
A.Schepers (1933), J.Bobet (1955), E.Merckx (1971), F.Maertens (1977), G.Knetemann (1978), S.Kelly (1986), A.Zulle (1993), L.Jalabert (1997), F.Vandenbroucke (1998), J.Jaksche (2004).
A finish for sprinters
History shows that the St Amand-Montrond finish should favour sprinters : the two past winners were strong finishers.
1996 - Frederic Moncassin
2002 - Alessandro Petacchi
Km 10
The bunch still taking it easy as the race crosses Oussoy en Gatinais (Km 10.5)
12:15Leisurely pace at the start
The bunch is packed and the pace leisurely in the first kilometres of the stage.
12:08Cloudy and cool at the start
The weather at the start was cloudy and cool. The bunch will cross snow-covered landscapes but the sun is shining on the finish line.
12:02Start given to 168 riders
The real start of the first stage was given at 12:02 to 168 riders.
11:57First climb of the race near the finish
A first climber jersey will be awarded at the finish when the bunch first crosses the line for a short ride around St Amand-Montrond including a third category climb, La Vieille Cote.
11:54Two intermediate sprints
Boonen will have two intermediate sprints at kilometres 123 and 173.5 to bridge the gap on Julich. Each sprint awards 3, 2 and 1 seconds to the top three finishers. Bonuses at the finish will be 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
11:51Julich in a familiar jersey
American Bobby Julich (Team CSC) leads the race at the start from Villemandeur. But the 2005 winner is under the threat of world champion Tom Boonen, who is but three seconds adrift and ready to take over.
11:46Welcome to Paris-Nice 1st stage
Welcome to the 193-kms first stage of Paris-Nice between Villemandeur and St Amand-Montrond. Join us live from 11:50.