In short
| Stage winner | Patxi Xabier VILA ERRANDONEA |
 (yellow/white jersey) |
Floyd LANDIS |
 (green/white jersey) |
Tom BOONEN |
 (red polka dotted jersey) |
Nicolas CROSBIE |
 (blue jersey) |
Stefan SCHUMACHER |
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
Wednesday 8 March 2006| stage 3 | Julienas > Saint-Etienne - 168.5 km |  |
 |
|---|
The newsflashes
16:17Landis seizes overall lead
Floyd Landis is the new Paris-Nice leader with a nine-second lead over Vila Errandonea.
16:16First professional victory for Vila
Vila-Errandonea’s victory was all the more emotional as the 30-year-old Spaniard had yet to win a race in the pro ranks.
16:15Samuel Sanchez third
Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) was third ahead of Luxemborug champion Franck Schleck (Team CSC) and Antonio Colom (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears).
16:13Vila Errandonea wins third stage
Spain’s Patxi Vila Errandonea (Lampre-Fondital)won the 168.5-kms third stage in St Etienne ahead of American Floyd Landis (Phonak)
16:07Landis and Vila lead the chasers by 1:05
Floyd Landis and Patxi Vila Errandonea lead the three chasers - Schleck, Colom and Samuel Sanchez - by 1:05 with seven kilometres to go. The stage win should go to the American or the Spaniard.
16:03Boonen 4:30 behind the leading pair
Race leader Tom Boonen is 4:30 behind Landis and Vila Errandonea at kilometre 157.
15:57Results at the top of the Croix de la Chaubouret
Results at the top of the Coix de la Chaubouret (1st category, km 150)
1. Landis
2. Vila Errandonea
3. Samuel Sanchez 3Ã secs behind
4. Schleck
5. Colom
Three chasers 30 seconds behind
Samuel Sanchez was third ahead of Schleck and Colom at the summit.
15:54Landis and Vila at the top of the Croix de Chaubouret
Landis reaches the top of the Croix de Chaubouret in the lead ahead of Vila Errandonea (km 150).
15:47Landis and Vila break
Floyd Landis and Patxi Vila Errandonea parted company with the leading five in the last kilometre of the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret. Two men in the lead.
15:39Moncoutie back on Martinez
Moncoutie has caught Martinez at kilometre 145, followed by Franck Schleck (Team CSC), Floyd Landis (Phonak), Patxi Vila Errandonea (Lampre) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel).
15:33Moncoutié counter-attacks
France’s David Moncoutié (Cofidis) is now the only rider chasing behind Martinez at kilometre 142. The climb claims its first victims... Tom Boonen has been dropped by the main bunch but is fighting his way back into the main pack.
15:31Martinez on the move
Jose Alberto Martinez attacks and drops Vansummeren. The Spaniard (Agritubel) is alone in the front in the Croix de la Chaubouret.
15:28Six chasers
Six riders are chasing behind Vansummeren and Martinez : Luis Sanchez, Ronny Scholz, Vicente Garcia Acosta, Thierry Marichal, Andriy Grivko and Iker Camano.
Bunch 1:05 behind before final climb
The main bunch were 1:05 behind Vansummeren and Martinez as they tackle the last climb of the day, the first category Col de la Croix de Chaubouret. Germany’s Ronny Scholz (Gerolsteiner) has counter-attacked behind the leading pair.
15:19Result of the 2nd intermediate sprint
Result of the second intermediate sprint of St Chamond (km 133.5):
1. Vansummeren 3 points and 3 seconds
2. Martinez 2 points and 2 seconds
3. Bobby Julich (Team CSC) 1 pt and 1 seconds
Vansummeren wins Kivilev tribute sprint
Vansummeren won the intermediate sprint held in St Chamond in memory of Andrei Kivilev (km 133.5) ahead of Martinez. The bunch are 40 seconds behind.
15:14Two riders in the lead
Vansummeren and Martinez join forces in the front. The main bunch have caught what was left of the previous break at kilometre 130.5.
15:09Vansummeren alone in front
Johan Vansummeren is alone in the lead in the descent of the Cote de la Croix Blanche.
15:08Results at the top of the Cote de la Croix Blanche
Results at the top of the Cote de la Croix Blanche (3rd category, km 124.5)
1. Jose Alberto Martinez (Agritubel) 4 pts
2. Johan Vansummeren (Davitamon Lotto) 2 pts
3. Alexandre Botcharov (Credit Agricole) 1 pt, 5 secs behind.
Laurent alone in the front
Christophe Laurent remains alone in the front at kilometre 120, followed by a group of 15 riders including Botcharov and Luis Sanchez, who have been caught by a chasing bunch of the 13 following riders: Alexandre Moos (Phonak, Johan Vansummeren (Davitamon Lotto), Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros), Juan Jose Cobo (Saunier Duval), Jose Luis Rubiera (Discovery Channel), Pietro Caucchioli (Credit Agricole), Aitor Perez Arrieta (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears), Linus Gerdemann (T-Mobile), Iker Camano (Euskaltel), Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel), Sandy Casar (FD Jeux), Eric Leblacher (FD Jeux) and Jose Alberto Martinez (Agritubel).
14:53Third hour average speed
The average speed during the third hour of the race was 33.7 kph.
14:53Three men in the lead
At kilometre 114, three riders are left in the lead - Laurent, Botcharov and Luis Sanchez - after Monfort suffered a puncture in the descent of the Cote de l’Aubepin.
14:51Results at the top of the Cote de l’Aubepin
Result at the top of the Cote de l’Aubepin (km 111.5)
1. Laurent
2. Luis Sanchez (Spain, Liberty Seguros)
3. Monfort
4. Botcharov
5. Iker Camano (Spain, Euskaltel) a 10 s
The bunch 20 seconds behind.
Break splits
Botcharov, Laurent, Monfort and Perez Arrieta attacked at the front sensing that the main pack was nearing. Only four men left in the leading group at kilometre 110.
14:41Lead of the eight down to 30 seconds
The lead of the eight escapees down to 30 seconds as the bunch tackles the Col de l’Aubepin.
14:31Resullts at the top of the Cote de St Martin
Results at the top of the Cote de St Martin (2nd category, km 98)
1. Laurent 7 points
2. Botcharov 5 points
3. Paulinho 3 points
4. Davis 2 points
5. Trenti 1 point
Only eight left in the leading group
Pineau, Voigt, Jalabert and Fernandez have been dropped from the leading group at kilometre 95. Only eight men in the front with a one-minute lead over the pack.
14:13Lead down to the minute
The lead of the 12 escapees was down to one minute at kilometre 93.
13:58Davis wins first intermediate sprint
Results of the first intermediate sprint in Brindas (km 82.5)
1. Allan Davis (Australia) Liberty Seguros 3 points and 3 seconds bonus
2. Jerome Pineau (France) Bouygues Telecom 2 pts and 2 seconds
3. Christophe Laurent (France) Agritubel 1 pt and 1 seconds.
Average speed
The average speed after two hours of racing is 39.4 kph.
13:49Gap now at 1:25
The lead of the 12 breakaways reaches 1:25 at kilometre 77.
13:32Six more riders throw the towel
Six more riders decided to give up : Robert Hunter (Phonak), Graeme Brown (Rabobank), Kim Kirchen (T-Mobile), Marius Sabaliauskas (Lampre-Fondital), Bradley McGee (Francaise des Jeux), and Manuel Calvente (Agritubel)
13:27Davis best placed among the 12
Of the 12 escapees, Allan Davis is the best-placed in the overall standings in 6th place, 24 seconds behind Tom Boonen. Holder of the points jersey after his two second places in the first and second stages, the Australian is currently the virtual Paris-Nice leader.
13:21The 12 lead by 55 seconds
The 12 held a maximum lead of 1:05 at kilometre 54 and the gap was down to 55 seconds at kilometre 60. The Gerolsteiner are leading the chase.
13:07The four joined by eight other riders
Twelve men in the lead. Leblacher, Voigt, Paulinho and Laurent have been joined by Nicolas Jalabert, Allan Davis, Botcharov, Aitor Perez Arrieta, Maxime Monfort, Guido Trenti, Jerome Pineau and Koldo Fernandez.
They lead the main pack by 45 seconds.
Four riders in the lead
Leblacher, winner of the third stage of l’Etoile de Besseges last month, has been joined by Germany’s Jens Voigt (Team CSC), Christophe Laurent and Portugal’s Sergio Paulinho (Liberty Seguros). The four hold a 15-second lead at kilometre 38.
12:37Restless Leblacher
Already seen at the front in the Cote de Brouilly, Leblacher attacks at kilometre 26 and holds a handful of seconds over the peloton.
12:27Result at the top of the Col de Brouilly
Results at the top of the Col de Brouilly (km 18.5)
1. Christophe Laurent (France) Agritubel 4 points
2. Aitor Osa (Spain) Libety Seguros 2 points
3. Eric Leblacher (France) Francaise des Jeux 1 point
A third rider out
Denmark’s Michael Blaudzun (Team CSC) also threw the towel.
12:24The five escapees caught
The five escapees were caught in the first climb of the day, the Cote de Brouilly (km 17)
12:21Two riders give up
Spain’s David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval) and Italy’s Nicola Loda (Liquigas) called it quits in the first kilometres.
12:20First breakaway
The first breakaway of the day took place at km 13 when Luis Sanchez (Spain, Liberty Seguros) and Alexandre Botcharov (Russia, Credit Agricole), tried their luck, quickly joined by Roger Hammond (Britai, Discovery Channel), Eric Berthou (France, Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears) and Danilo Napolitano (Italy, Lampre-Fondital).
12:13Jersey holders in the 3rd stage
Overall leader (yellow and white jersey): Tom Boonen (Belgium) Quick Step-Innergetic
Points leader (green and white jersey): Tom Boonen, worn by Allan Davis (Australia) Liberty Seguros
Best climber (polka dot jersey): Nicolas Crosbie (France) Agritubel
Young rider (Blue and white jersey): Benoit Vaugrenard (France) Francaise des Jeux
Team standings: Francaise des Jeux.
56th stage finish in St Etienne
Today’s stage will be the 56th finish in St Etienne, the second most visited city on Paris-Nice after Nice. The list of winners in St Etienne reads like a cyling hall of fame : Louison Bobet, Rik Van Looy, Rudi Altig, Eddy Merckx, Freddy Maertens, Sean Kelly, Johan Museeuw, Lance Armstrong and Laurent Jalabert, among others, have all won here.
The last winner was Italy’s Davide Rebellin in 2003.
Start given at 11:50
The start has been given at 11:50 to 160 riders. Torsten Hiekmann (Germany, Gerolsteiner) did not start.
11:47Climbs on the day’s programme
Col de Brouilly (3rd category, km 18.5)
Cote de Plantigny (3rd category, km 32)
Cote de St Martin en Haut (2nd category, km 98)
Cote de l’Aubepin (2nd category, km 111.5)
Cote de la Croix Blanche (3rd category, km 124.5)
Col de la Croix de Chaubouret (1st category, km 150)
Intermediate sprints on the day’s menu
Brindas (km 82.5)
St Chamond (km 133.5) in tribute to Andrei Kivilev, the Kazakh rider who died in a crash in that city in 2003.
Beaujolais vineyards
The first 20 kms of today’s stage will take the bunch around some of the most famous Beaujolais vineyards : Julienas, Chenas, Fleurie, Morgon and Brouilly.
11:37Welcome on the third stage
Welcome on the 168.5-kms third stage of Paris-Nice between Julienas and St Etienne. The sky is grey and a slight drizzle is falling on the riders and the vineyards of Beaujolais at the start.