In short
| Stage winner | Joaquim RODRIGUEZ |
 (yellow/white jersey) |
Floyd LANDIS |
 (green/white jersey) |
Tom BOONEN |
 (red polka dotted jersey) |
Christophe LAURENT |
 (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
Friday 10 March 2006| stage 5 | Avignon > Digne-les-Bains - 201.5 km |  |
 |
|---|
The newsflashes
15:49Posthuma takes second place
Jost Posthuma (Rabobank) was second 18 seconds behind ahead of France’s Jerome Pineau (Bouygues Telecom)
15:48Rodriguez wins 5th stage
Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears) wins the 5th stage in Digne-les-Bains, his second stage victory on Paris-Nice after the stage won in Cannes in 2003.
15:43Situation 5 kms from the finish
Race situation five kms from the finish line in Digne.
1. Rodriguez
2. Moncoutie, Posthuma and Contador 45 secs behind
5. Peloton 1:05 behind
Rodriguez won in Cannes in 2003
Rodriguez, who held the best climber’s jersey in the last Vuelta, won a Paris-Nice stage in Cannes in 2003.
15:34Three chase behind Rodriguez
Posthuma, Moncoutie and Contador back together to chase behind Rodriguez in the descent of the Col du Corobin (km 189.5)
15:33Results at the top of the Col du Corobin
Results at the top of the Col du Corobin (1st category, km 181.5)
1. Joaquim Rodriguez 10 pts
2. Psthuma 25 secs behind 8 pts
3. Moncoutié 30 secs 6
4. Contador same time 4
5. Portal 1:20 3
6. Pineau same time 2
7. Aerts s.t. 1
8. Nibali 1:25
Rodriguez 1 km from the top
Rodriguez in the lead one kilometre from the summit of the Corobin, followed, 200 metres behind, by Moncoutie and Contador. Posthuma is losing ground.
15:24Rodriguez drops Posthuma
Joaquim Rodriguez attacks and drops Posthuma.
15:23Race situation with 20 kms to go
Situation of the race at kilometre 182.
1. Posthuma and Rodriguez
3. Moncoutie and Contador 15 secs behind
5. Contador, Portal, Aerts 40 secs behind
The peloton 1:40 behind.
Note: Last year’s winner Bobby Julich (Team CSC) has been dropped from the main bunch.
Julich, Schuamcher
Rodriguez joins Posthuma
Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears) closes the gap on Posthuma. The two join forces in the climb with 20 kms to go.
15:15Posthuma won last year in Cannes
Posthuma last year won the 6th and penultimate stage of Paris-Nice between La Crau and Cannes.
15:13Posthuma alone
Posthuma is alone in the front, with a 12-second lead over Contador, Moncoutie and Rodriguez.
15:11Four men in the lead
Posthuma, Moncoutie, Rodriguez and Contador have dropped their companions in the first kilometre of the Corobin. Posthuma looks the most aggressive of the quartet.
15:09Under two minutes
The lead of the nine goes under two minutes at kilometre 174 — 1:55 as the breakaway group tackle the Corobin.
15:01The leaders close to the last climb
The nine leaders are five kms from the beginning of the last climb of the day, the 1st category Col du Corobin, with a 2:25 lead over the bunch (km 167). Moncoutie had attacked on that climb in the last Tour de France to win a stage in Digne on Bastille day.
14:54Result of the second intermediate sprint
Result of the second intermediate sprint in Mezel (km 164):
1. Posthuma 3 points and 3 secs
2. Aerts 2 pts and 2 secs
3. Mourey 1 pt and 1 sec
Lead down to 3:20
The lead of the nine escapees was down to 3:20 at La Begude (km 152.5)
14:07Result of the first intermediate sprint
Result of the first intermediate sprint in Oraison (km 128.5):
1. Posthuma
2. Contador
3. Portal
Boonen in an elite club
By winning his fifth stage in Paris-Nice in Rasteau, Booonen joined six other riders who achieved the same feat in the past:
André Darrigade (France) between 1952 and 1964
Willy Vannisten (Blegium) between 1958 and 1965
Rik Van Linden (Belgium) between 1973 and 1980
Jacques Esclassan (France) between 1973 and 1978
Stephen Roche (Ireland) between 1981 and 1989
Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) between 2002 and 2004
Augé stops
France’s Stéphane Augé (Cofidis) has joined the list of abandons.
13:50Wind splits peloton
A heavy wind is splitting the bunch at km 115.
13:46The bunch in the feeding zone
The bunch have reached the feeding zone in Forcalquier (km 122.5) with a 4:05 gap behind the group of nine leaders.
13:31Gap stable around four minutes
The gap remains stable at between 4:05 and 4:15 as the bunch rides along lavender fields at kilometre 100. The Lampre and Phonak teams of overall leaders Floyd Landis and Patxi Vila control the peloton’s tempo.
13:10Average speed after two hours
The average speed after two hours in nthe stage was 40.5 kph
12:58Lead reaches four minutes
The lead of the group of nine escapees is stable at 4:00 at kilometre 73.
12:51Napolitano out in turn
Italy’s Danilo Napolitano (Lampre-Fondital) also bid farewell to Paris-Nice. Tom Boonen will be short of rivals in case of another mass sprint finish.
12:45Pineau first at the top of the Cote de Sault
Result at the top of the Cote de Sault (3rd category, km 61)
1. Pineau
2. Contador
3. Rodriguez and the six other escapees.
... 10. Kjell Carlstrom (Finland, Liquigas) 2:25 behind.
The bunch 3:25 behind.
Nine men in the front
Km 58: the five chasers catch the four breakaways. Nine men in the lead, with a 2:05 lead over the main pack.
12:31Five men chase behind the four
Five riders are chasing behind Moncoutie, Mourey, Rodriguez and Contador : Joost Posthuma (Rabobank), Nicolas Portal (Caisse d’Epargne), Jerome Pineau (Bouygues Telecom), Mario Aerts (Davitamon Lotto) and Stef Clement (Bouygues Telecom) are trailing the four by 25 seconds. The bunch is 40 seconds adrift.
12:28Results at the top of the Col ND des Abeilles
Results at the top of the Col Notre Dame des Abeilles (1st category, km 48.5)
1. David Moncoutie (Cofidis) 10 pts
2. Joaquim Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears) 8
3. Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros)6
4. Francis Mourey (FD Jeux) 4
5. Christophe Laurent (Agritubel) 3
6. Eric Leblacher (FD Jeux) 2
7. Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) 1
Moncoutié first at the top
Moncoutié reaches the top of the Col Notre Dame des Abeilles in first place, followed by Joaquim Rodriguez, Contador and Mourey.
12:17Four men in the lead
Mourey and Contador are joined by Moncoutie and Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears). The four lead a group of five escapees by 25 seconds.
12:11Noval Gonzalez gives up
Spain’s Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Discovery Channel) also threw the towel.
12:05Mourey and Contador lead by 20 seconds
Mourey and Contador lead the peloton by 20 seconds in the climb. France’s David Moncoutie (Cofidis), winner of a Tour de France stage on the same roads last year, is chasing behind them.
12:04Allan Davis calls it quits
Australia’s Allan Davis (Libery Seguros), second three times behind Tom Boonen in the first, second and fourth stages, gave up.
12:02Bunch catches the four
The bunch catches the four in the first climb of the day, the Cote Notre Dame des Abeilles (kilometre 40). Francis Mourey (FD Jeux) and ALberto Contador (Libery Seguros) counter-attack.
11:58Only four men left in the front
Six riders have dropped out of the leading group which now features only four men, Moerenhout, Casar, Perez Arrieta and Nuyens.
11:55Kashechkin chases behind the ten
Kazak Andriy Kashechkin (Libery Seguros), second in the prologue, is chasing behind the break.
11:46Lead reaches 25 seconds
Lead reaches 25 seconds at kilometre 31
11:41The 10 lead the bunch by 10 seconds
The 10 escapees lead the main pack by 10 seconds at kilometre 29.
11:40The two caught by chasing group
Crosbie and Casar were caught at kilometre 23 by a chasing group comprising Koos Moerenhout (Phonak), Vicenzo Nibali (Liguigas), Aitor Perez Arrieta (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears), Nick Nuyens (Quick Step), Michael Albasini (Liquigas), Didier Rous (Bouygues Telecom) Maarten Den Bakker (Milram) and Jose Luis Arrieta (AG2R)
11:29Attempt by Crosbie and Casar
An attempt by Fenchmen Nicolas Crosbie (Agritubel) and Sandy Casar (FD Jeux) took place at kilometre 17.
11:21The nine caught
The nine breakaways have been caught at kilometre 13.5
11:20Nine men on the run
A group of nine riders break clear. The nine are Axel Merckx (Phonak), Angel Gomez (Saunier Duval), Maxime Monfort (Cofidis), Vicente Garcia Acosta (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears), Nick Nuyens (Quick Step), Stef Clement (Bouygues Telecom), Benoit Vaugrenard (FD Jeux), Benoit Poilvet (Credit Agricole) Matej Mugerli (Liquigas)
11:09Marichal reined in
Marichal has been caught at kilometre 3
11:07Marichal attacks on the gun
Already very active in the previous stage, Belgium’s Thierry Marichal (Cofidis) attacks from the start.
11:05Start given
The start has been given to 144 riders at 11:04.
10:59Jersey holders in the 5th stage
Overall leader (yellow and white jersey): Floyd Landis (U.S.) Phonak
Points leader (green and white): Tom Boonen (Belgium) Quick Ste-Innergetic
Best climber (polka dot): Christophe Laurent (France) Agritubel
Best young rider (blue and white): Stefan Schumacher (Germany) Geroslteiner
Team standings: Discovery Channel.
Riders at the start
Riders are welcomed at the start by a demonstration of students who do not disturb the start.
10:45Merckx only previous winner in Digne
Digne-les-Bains only welcomed a Paris-Nice stage finish once in the past, in 1977, and the winner was Eddy Merckx. It was the Cannibal’s last of 21 stage victories on Paris-Nice, a record of course.
10:43Climbs in the 5th stage
Climbs in the 5th stage
Km 48.5 – Col Notre Dame des Abeilles (1st category)
Km 61 – Col de Sault (3rd category)
Km 185 – Cote du Corobin (1st category)
Intermediate sprints in the 5th stage
Km 128.5 - Oraison
Km 164 - Mezel
Welcome to the 5th stage
Welcome to the 201.5-kms 5th stage of Paris-Nice between Avignon and Digne-les-Bains, the longest in the race this year. The start has been put forward by five minutes to 11:45. Stay connected to the official website.