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 |
|---|
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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
Wednesday 8 March 2006| stage 3 | Julienas > Saint-Etienne - 168.5 km |  |
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Landis seizes the reins
Floyd Landis took the reins of Paris-Nice thanks to a great effort in the last climb of the 168.5-kms third stage won in St Etienne by his breakaway companion, Spaniard Patxi Vila Errandonea.
The American Phonak leader joined forces with the veteran Lampre rider in the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret, 20 kilometres from the finish line, to build a solid lead over the rest of the field in the first category final hill, which saw Belgian Tom Boonen, the overall leader at the start in Julienas, lose more than four minutes.
Already crowned this season in the Tour of California, Landis confirmed his solid ambitions in the big stage races this season after finishing 9th in the last Tour de France.
Vila Errandonea’s stage victory was all the more emotional as the Basque rider, 30, had yet to win a race in the professional ranks.
The film of the stage
Stage win for Vila, Landis in command
Sprints: Brindas (km 82.5)
St Chamond, souvenir Andrei Kivilev (km 133.5)
Climbs:
Km 18,5 : Col de Brouilly, cat.3 (1,9 kms at 5.2 %)
Km 32 : Côte de Plantigny, cat.3 (2.3 kms at 4,7 %)
Km 98 : Côte de St-Martin, cat.2 (8.8 kms at 4,3 %)
Km 111,5 : Côte de l’Aubépin, cat.2 (7.4 kms at 3,9 %)
Km 124,5 : Côte de la Croix Blanche, cat.3 (1.8 kms at 4 %)
Km 150 : Col de la Croix-de-Chabouret (10.1 kms at 6,5 %)
Weather: cloudy with rainy spells.
160 riders at the start. Torsten Hiekmann (Germany, Gerolsteiner) did not start
Beaujolais vineyards
The start was given at 11:50 in a steady drizzle. A couple of skirmishes took place in the Beaujolais vineyards, involving Luis Sanchez, Alexandre Botcharov, Roger Hammond, Eric Berthou and Danilo Napolitano and later favourites like Floyd Landis (Phonak) and Andrey Kashechkin (Liberty Seguros). France’s Eric Leblacher (FD Jeux) was the most active rider, reaching the top of the Col de Brouilly (km 18.5) behind Christophe Laurent (Agritubel) and Aitor Osa (Liberty Seguros) before breaking clear at kilometre 26 with Jens Voigt (Team CSC), Laurent and Sergio Paulinho (Liberty Seguros). The four were joined by Nicolas Jalabert (Phonak), Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros), Botcharov, Aitor Perez Arrieta (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears), Maxime Monfort (Cofidis), Guido Trenti (Quick Step), Jerome Pineau (Bouygues Telecom), and Koldo Fernandez (Euskaltel). The lead of the 12 culimnated at 1:35 at kilometre 82, when Davis won the first intermediate sprint in Brindas.
Several riders call it quits
The cold and crashes in previous stages had their toll as many riders threw the towel early in the stage, including Michael Blaudzun (Team CSC), Nicola Loda (Liquigas), David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval), Robert Hunter (Phonak), Graeme Brown (Rabobank), Kim Kirchen (T-Mobile), Marius Sabaliauskas (Lampre), Bradley McGee (Francaise des Jeux), Anthony Charteau (Credit Agricole), Mirco Lorenzetoo (Milram) and Manuel Calvente (Agritubel). As the lead of the 12 decreased under the minute at kilometre 93, four of the escapees, Voigt, Jalabert, Fernandez and Pineau were dropped and caught back by the main pack. The eight riders left in the break maintained a one-minute lead. Laurent collected points for the mountain classification by finishing first at the top of the first four climbs of the day.
Vansummeren and Martinez break away
The real fight started in the Col de l’Aubepin (km 111.5) when 13 riders, Alexandre Moos (Phonak), Johan Vansummeren (Davitamon Lotto), Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros), Juan Jose Cobo (Saunier Duval), Jose Luis Rubiera, 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) chased and quickly caught what was left of the previous break.
In the Cote de la Croix Blanche (km 124.5) , the leading group split and Martinez was first at the top ahead of Vansummeren. The two joined forces as the main pack, led by Rabobank riders, caught the rest of the break. Vansummeren won the second intermediate sprint held at kilometre 133.5 in memory of Kazkah Andrei Kivilev, killed in a crash in St Chamond in 2003, ahead of Martinez and Bobby Julich (Team CSC)
Landis and Vila Errandonea break clear
In the Cote de la Croix de Chaubouret, France’s David Moncoutie counter-attacked behind Martinez as Vansummeren gradually lost ground. The Cofidis leader was quickly followed by Landis, Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck (Team CSC), Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel); Spain’s Antonio Colom (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears) and Patxi Vila Errandonea (Lampre). The six caught Martinez (km 145) and Moncoutie lost contact, joining forces in a second group with Pietro Caucchioli (Credit Agricole) and Joze Azevedo (Discovery Channel). Two kilometres from the summit, Landis and Vila Errandonea parted company with their companions to take the reins. The American reached the top in the lead ahead of Vila, with three riders, Samuel Sanchez, Schleck and Colom, 30 seconds behind. Azevedo and Luis Sanchez followed, 1:15 adrift. Overall leader Tom Boonen was trailing by 3:30 at the top. In the descent, the leading two again increased their advantage and in the final stretch Vila Errandonea outsprinted Landis to snatch his first victory in the professional ranks. Landis became the new leader of Paris-Nice. Boonen, who finished 36th, 5:48 behind, retained the points leader jersey.
The winner interview
Vila Errandonea: Hard to topple Floyd
Floyd Landis : "I knew I had good legs after my victory in the Tour of California but to take the jersey so early in the race comes as a bit of a surprise. I will do my utmost to keep the jersey now for it is very important for the team and the sponsor."
Patxi Vila Errandonea: "I’m super happy to win here in St Etienne because it’s my 5th Paris-Nice and it’s a town I like very much. I had been waiting for a win like this for a long time. Now I keep hopes for final victory but it will be hard to topple Floyd. I look forward to the two big stages in the South and especially the one to Cannes which looks especially hard."