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 |
|---|
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• Individual time• Individual points • Best climber • Best young • Best team |
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| Overall |
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• 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 | |
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The race
Tuesday 7 March 2006| stage 2 | Cerilly > Belleville - 200 km |  |
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Boonen twice again
Tom Boonen repeated his 2005 feat in Paris-Nice by winning the first two stages of the Race to the Sun. The world champion and race leader at the start in Cerilly spoiled the day of young Frenchman Nicolas Crosbie, who led for 190 kms before being caught at the last 10 kilometres mark.
Boonen, who outclassed the opposition in the first stage in St Amand Montrond, struck again to beat Australian Allan Davis for the second day in succession and retain his yellow and white leader’s jersey. Italy’s Danilo Napolitano (Lampre-Fondiral) was third.
Crosbie nearly spoiled the show when he attacked on the gun and held a maximum lead of 27 minutes and 30 seconds after 81 kilometres. But he cracked in the finale when Boonen’s Quick Step team-mates launched the chase for good. The Agritubel rider earned the polka dot climber’s jersey as a consolation prize.
The film of the stage
Boonen spoils Crosbie’s day
Sprints: St Gerand de Vaux (km 59.5)
Chauffailles (km 148)
Climbs: Cote de St Hilaire (km 23) 3rd category
Cote de Vernay (km 123) 3rd category
Cote de Chateauneuf (km 143) 3rd category
Col des Echarmeaux (km 160) 2nd category
Cote des Rochettes (km 175.5) 3rd category
Col du Fut d’Avenas (km 181) 3rd category
Weather: cloudy and dry
166 riders at the start. Gerben Loewik (Netherlands) Rabobank did not start
Crosbie out on the gun
The start was given at 11:39. France’s Nicolas Crosbie (Agritubel), who had been the first rider in action in Sunday’s prologue, broke clear almost on the gun and the bunch did not react. The lead of the Agritubel rider, who is in his second professional season, grew steadily to reach 6:30 after 11 kms. Crosbie was exactly 14 kilometres ahead of the peloton at kilometre 42 and his lead climbed to 21:50 at the 50 kms mark. The Frenchman reached the top of the Cote de St Hilaire ahead of France’s Stephane Auge and Christophe Laurent, the two leaders of the climber’s classification. Crosbie also took the first intermediate sprint ahead of Switzerland’s Marcus Zberg (Gerolsteiner) and Australia’s Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros).
Lead grows, crashes in the bunch
Crosbie’s lead only faltered after the first sprint but quickly regained momentum. It culminated at 27:30 at kilometre 81 when one rider, Jorg Ludewig (T-Mobile) decided to react, only to be taken back five kilometres later. While the bunch seemed surprisingly patient, two Cofidis riders, Belgian Thierry Marichal and Colombia’s Ivan Parra, counter-attacked in turn. Their lead grew to 50 seconds after 115 kms and three minutes at kilometre 130. Two crashes took place at the back of the pack and French champion Pierrick Fedrigo, involved in the first, was forced to call it quits. American Christian Vandevelde (Team CSC) was also forced out later on, followed by Team Milram’s leader Mirko Celestino.
Late chase
While Parra lost ground and was swallowed by the peloton (km 151), Marichal was joined in his chase by Belgium’s Johan Vansummeren (Davitamon Lotto) and Spain’s Aitor Osa (Liberty Seguros). France’s Eric Deblacher (Francaise des Jeux) and Italy’s Enrico Franzoi (Lampre) also tried their luck in vain as the road was going up for the last hills of the day. At the top of the main climb of the stage, the Col des Echarmeaux (km 160) Crosbie led Marichal, Vansummeren and Osa by 10:50 and the three were caught by the pack in the descent. In the last 30 kilometres, the chase gained momentum under the direction of teams Euskaltel and Liberty Seguros and Crosbie’s lead was down to 9:30 with 35 kilometres left.
Finale
In the finale, Boonen’s Quick Step team-mates took control of the chase and the Frenchman’s lead diminished steadily. At the top of the penultimate climb, the Cote des Rochettes, Crosbie’s advantage had slimmed down to 3:45 and it was a meagre 45 seconds at the top of the last climb of the day, the Col du Fut d’Avenas. In the descent, Ukraine’s Andriy Grivko (Milram) and France’s Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R) chased behind Crosbie and put an end to his solo with 13 kilometres to go. Crosbie was reined in by the pack at the last 10 kilometres mark. Dumoulin and Grivko continued their effort, only to be tamed two kilometres before the line. The stage was set once again for world champion Boonen who, ideally set up for the last stretch on the rue de la Republique in Belleville, led the final sprint from the start to keep Australian Allan Davis at bay once again. Italy’s Danilo Napolitano (Lampre-Fondital) was third. Overall, Boonen leads Bobby Julich (Team CSC) by 17 seconds with Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin third, 18 seconds adrift.
The winner interview
Boonen: a special stage
"It was a special stage today with a rider in the front all day, who held a 25-minute lead at one stage.It was not easy to decide how to react. Finally we decided to take the reins and we caught him at the very last minute to finally battle it out in a great sprint.
I won for my team-mates, because they ride for 25,000 kms at the front each year for me.
I can tell you that tomorrow, if the fight starts for real, I won’t be part of it. I will sit back and watch."