In short
| Stage winner | Tom BOONEN |
 (yellow/white jersey) |
Tom BOONEN |
 (green/white jersey) |
Tom BOONEN |
 (red polka dotted jersey) |
Nicolas CROSBIE |
 (blue jersey) |
Benoît VAUGRENARD |
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
Tuesday 7 March 2006| stage 2 | Cerilly > Belleville - 200 km |  |
 |
|---|
The newsflashes
17:01Boonen ahead of Davis and Napolitano
Boonen wins ahead of Australian Allan Davis, already second in the first stage in St Amand Montrond. Italy’s Danilo Napolitano (Lampre) was third.
17:00Boonen wins 2nd stage!
Tom Boonen won the 2nd stage, his fourth stage victory in Paris-Nice. The Belgian repeated his 2005 feat of winning the race’s first two stages.
16:58Grivko and Dumoulin caught
The peloton catch Dumoulin and Grivko with two kilometres to go. At the back of the pack, Crosbie, the day’s hero, is dropped.
16:56Grivko and Dumoulin try to hold the bunch
Grivko and Dumoulin work hard to keep the bunch at bay but the Quick Step blue train is impressive as it leads the main pack to set up Tom Boonen for the finale.
16:49Bunch catches Crosbie at the 10 kms mark
Crosbie was caught by the peloton at the 10 kilometres mark.
16:48Grivko and Dumoulin drop Crosbie
Grivko and Dumoulin drop Crosbie at kilometre 189. The bunch is only 20 seconds behind the day’s hero.
16:46Crosbie caught by Dumoulin and Grivko
Crosbie, in the lead since the first kilometre, has been caught by Grivko and Dumoulin with 13 kilometres left before the finish line in Belleville.
16:44Results at the top of the Col du Fut d’Avenas
Results at the top of the Col du Fut d’Avenas (km 181)
1. Crosbie 4 pts
2. Andriy Grivko (Ukraine) Milram 2 pts
3. Samuel Dumoulin (France) AG2R 1 pt
Lead down to 45 seconds in the last climb
Crosbie’s lead at the top of the Col de Fut d’Avenas (km 181) had melted down to 45 seconds.
16:35Results at the top of the Cote des Rochettes
Results at the top of the Cote des Rochettes (km 175)
1. Crosbie 4 points
2. Luis Sanchez (Spain) Liberty Seguros 2 pts
3. Aitor Osa 1 point
Crosbie cracks as peloton speeds
Crosbie lead is cut down to 3:45 in the last climb of the day, the Col du Fut d’Avenas (km 177)
16:26Lead down to 7:40
Crosbie’s lead over the peloton was cut to 7:40 as the Agritubel rider reached the foot of the Cote des Rochettes (km 175)
16:16Result at the top of the Col des Echarmeaux
Results at the top of the 2nd category Col des Echarmeaux (km 160):
1. Crosbie 7 points
2. Aitor Osa 5 points
3. Vansummeren 3 points
4. Marichal 2 points
5. Markel Irizar (Spain) Euskaltel 1 point
Three chasers back in the pack
Crosbie is alone in the lead again after Marichal, Vansummeren and Osa have been swallowed by the main pack in the Col des Echarmeaux descent (km 161)
16:07Franzoi and Leblacher back in the pack
Franzoi and Leblacher have been caught by the main bunch at kilometre 158 and give up the chase.
15:58Race situation at kilometre 151
1. Crosbie
2. Marichal, Vansummeren and Aitor Osa 13:50 behind
5. Enrico Franzoi (Lampre) and Eric Leblacher (FD Jeux) 14:10 behind
followed by the bunch at 15:10
Vansummeren and Osa leave the bunch
Belgium’s Johan Vansummeren (Davitamon-Lotto) and Spain’s Aitor Osa (Liberty Seguros) have parted company with the front of the main bunch.
15:44Results at the top of the Chateauneuf climb
Results at the top of the Chateauneuf climb (km 143):
1. Nicolas Crosbie 4 pts
2. Ivan Parra 2 pts
3. Thierry Marichal 1 pt, both 16:00 behind
and the bunch 17:25 adrift
Gap narrows as chase gathers pace
The gap between Crosbie and the two Cofidis chasers (Marichal and Parra) was down to 16:30 at km 141. The pack was 18 minutes adrift.
15:30Bunch splits as the road goes bumpier
The bunch splits as the main pack approach the last four hills on the stage menu.
15:26Marichal and Parra three minutes ahead of the bunch
The two chasers lead the bunch by three minutes as the main group reach kilometre 130. Leader Nicolas Crosbie is at the top of the Cote de Chateauneuf, 13 kms ahead of the pack.
15:20Vandevelde out after a crash
American Christian Vandevelde (Team CSC), also involved in a crash, is forced out of the race.
15:20Vandevelde out after a crash
American Christian Vandevelde (Team CSC), also involved in a crash, is forced out of the race.
15:19Results at the top of the Cote de Vernay
Results at the top of the Côte de Vernay (km 123)
1. Crosbie (France - AGR), 4 pts
... 21’
2. Parra (Colombia - COF), 2 pts
3. Marichal (Belgium - COF), 1 pt
The bunch 23:30 behind Crosbie.
Crosbie restless this season
Nicolas Crosbie has been rather restless this season, twice attempting breakaways, so far unsuccessfully, first in the Tour of Qatar and more recently in the Tour Mediterranean before being reined in close to the finish.
14:55Crosbie’s lead down to 24:30
The bunch now trail race leader Crosbie by 24:30 at kilometre 111 as the Frenchman tackles the four hills scattered along the last part of the stage.
14:52French champion Fedrigo gives up
French champion Pierrick Fedrigo, caught in a crash at the back of the bunch, has given up.
14:52French champion Fedrigo gives up
French champion Pierrick Fedrigo, caught in a crash at the back of the bunch, has given up.
14:51Marichal and Parra 25 secs ahead of the pack
The two Cofidis riders, who counter-attacked behind stage leader Nicolas Crosbie, are 25 seconds ahead of the bunch at kilometre 109.
14:44Two Cofidis riders try to react
Cofidis seem to try to spur the bunch into reaction. Two of their riders, Thierry Marichal and Ivan Parra, attacked at the front of the main bunch at kilometre 104.
14:41Third hour average speed
The third hour average speed for Nicolas Crosbie was 39.8 kph and 39.5 kph overall.
14:33Lead decreases a little
Crosbie’s lead as he reaches kilometre 113 decreases to 25:20.
14:15Ludewig back in the pack
Ludewig reaction was short-lived. He was caught back by the main pack at kilometre 84.
14:12Ludewig chases, the lead grows
At kilometre 79, Jorg Ludewig (T-Mobile)launched the first real chase. The German was 26:40 behind Crosbie two kilometres later. The bunch now trails the escapee by 27:30.
14:07 13:58Gap rises again
The gap widens again and reaches 25:40 at kilometre 75.
13:35Result of the first intermediate sprint (km 59.5)
Result of the first intermediate sprint at St Gerand de Vaux (km 59.5)
1. Nicolas Crosbie 3 points and 3"
2. Marcus Zberg (Switzerland) Gerolsteiner 2 and 2
3. Allan Davis (Australia) Liberty Seguros 1 and 1
Triple stage winners in Paris-Nice
Tom Boonen won his third Paris-Nice stage yesterday in St Amand Montrond, joining the following riders:
R.Lapébie, F.Vaervaecke, V.Favero, N.Foré, G.Reybroeck, L.Duyndam, W.Godefroot, J-F.Bernard, A.Zulle, F.Vandenbroucke, D.Frigo et A.Petacchi.
Eddy Merckx holds the record of stage wins in the race with 21 victories between 1967 and 1977.
Gap now at 21:50
The gap between Crosbie and the main bunch reaches 21:50 at kilometre 50. The peloton does not seems to take the Frenchman’s move too seriously.
13:07First hour average speed
The early pace is considerably faster than yesterday’s at 39.6 kph in the first hour.
13:05Crosbie 14 kms ahead of the bunch
Crosbie now leads the peloton by more than 19 minutes and by precisely 14 kms!
12:52Crosbie’s lead reaches 17 minutes
The lead of France’s Nicolas Crosbie reaches 17 minutes at kilometre 34.5
12:49Previous winners in Belleville
The finish in Belleville, a long hard straight stretch in the rue de la Republique has in the past crowned two solid sprinters.
2000 - Fabio Baldato (Italy)
2002 - Robbie McEwen (Australia)
Boonen looking for 2005 repeat?
Winner yesterday in St Amand-Montrond, Tom Boonen will be looking for a repeat of last year’s feat when the Belgian won the first and second stages of Paris-Nice.
12:43Jersey holders in the second stage
Race overall leader (yellow and white jersey): Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic)
Points classification (green and white jersey):
Boonen, worn by Gert Steegmans (Davitamon Lotto)
Climber’s classification (polka dot jersey):
Stéphane Augé (Cofidis)
Young rider classification (blue and white jersey):
Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros)
Team classification: Française des Jeux.
Standings at the top of the St Hilaire climb
Standings at the top of the third category St Hilaire climb (km 23):
1. Nicolas Crosbie 4 points
2. Stéphane Augé (Cofidis) 2 points
3. Christophe Laurent (Agritubel) one
Augé and Laurent, who lead the climber’s classification after their long breakaway in the first stage, led the peloton up the climb, 11 minutes behind the leader.
Crosbie’s lead 6:30 after 11 kms
Crosbie’s lead after 11 kms is 6:30. The bunch stays put and does not react at first.
12:33Crosbie attacks from the gun
Nicolas Crosbie (Agritubel) broke clear after just one kilometre. The Frenchman had been the first rider in action in this 64th edition of Paris-Nice, starting first in Sunday’s prologue in Issy-les-Moulineaux.
12:30Start of the 2nd stage given at 11:39
The start of the 2nd stage between Cerilly and Belleville en Beaujolais was given at 11:39 to 166 riders. Dutchman Gerben Loewik (Rabobank) did not start.