Belleville
201 km
Tuesday 11 March
Hushovd retains his Paris-Nice leader’s yellow jersey.
Top five placings in the 201-kms 2nd stage of Paris-Nice between Nevers and Belleville:
1. Steegmans
2. Hushovd
3. Chavanel
4. Albasini
5. Philippe Gilbert (Bel, FDJ)
Steegmans logically won his second stage in succession, ahead of Hushovd, Chavanel and Albasini.
Victory should now go to Hushovd, Albasini, Steegmans or Chavanel.
The four escapees increase their lead to 17 seconds with two kilometres left.
Four of the strongest men in the bunch, Hushovd, Chavanel, Steegmans and Albasini, keep the peloton at bay with 4 kms to go.
Hushovd has stopped his effort and waits for a three man group, including Sylvain Chavanel, Gert Steegmans and Michael Albasini (Liquigas)
One of the in-form riders of the early season, Philippe Gilbert also decides to give it a try. But his move is immediately reined in.
Km 193 - Hushovd leads the peloton by 25 seconds and the gap increases steadily.
Spurred by Hushovd’s bold move, Chavanel goes for the yellow jersey holder with 10 kms to go. The Frenchman catches Barredo.
The Quick Step have sent Carlos Barredo chasing behind Hushovd.
Thor Hushovd is really the strong man of this Paris-Nice so far. The yellow jersey holder attacked in the descent and now leads the bunch by ten seconds!
Thierry Hupond remained 151 kms on his own before being caught.
Results at the top of the Col du Fut d’Avenas
1. Benat Itntxausti (Spain, Saunier Duval) 7 pts
2. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spain, Rabobank) 5 pts
3. Igor Anton (Spain, Euskaltel) 3 pts
4. Thierry Hupond (France, Skil Shimano) 2 pts
5. Nicolas Jalabert (France, Agritubel) 1 pt
Gert Steegmans’ Quick Step team-mates, wary about Flecha’s move, are now reacting, seizing the reins of the peloton.
Alone in the front for 148 kms now, Thierry Hupond is gaping for air in the last climb, the 2nd category Col du Fut d’Avenas.
Km 177 - Flecha leads an impresive chase, 3:55 behind Hupond while the bunch is 45 seconds further back.
Spain’s Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) surged in the descent of the Col de Crie to chase Thierry Hupond on his own.
Thierry Hupond is now in the mist at the top of the col de Crie, with the peloton less than five minutes behind.
White jersey holder Andryi Grivko (Ukr, Miklram) was also in the second part of the bunch, some 2:30 behind the chasing pack.
Results at the top of the Col de Champ Juin (3rd cat, km 160):
1. Hupond
2. Le Boulanger
3. Dmitry Fofonov (Kaz, C.A)
Km 156.6 - The gap between Thierry Hupond and the peloton is down to 7:45. The escapee was first at the top of the 3rd category col de Champ Juin and provisionally took the best climber’s polka-dot jersey.
The gap between stage leader Thierry Hupond and the main pack is down to nine minutes with 46 kms to go.
Frank Schleck, involved in the first crash which split the peloton, lies in the second half of the pack, 1:55 behind the group comprising Hushovd and most of the favourites.
Held by the crash, Cadel Evans, David Millar and Davide Rebellin made it back in the first part of the peloton in the descent of the Cote de la Clayette.
Results at the top of the Cote de la Clayette (3rd cat, km 141):
1. Thierry Hupond (Fra, SKS) 4 pts
2. Clement Lhotellerie (Fra, SKS) 2 pts
3. Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra , FDJ) 1 pt
Yellow jersey holder Thor Hushovd is safely sheltered in the first part of the peloton which was spared by the crashes. Green jersey holder Karsten Kroon is also in this first bunch, which incudes some 50 riders, mostly from Credit Agricole, Francaise des Jeux and Quick Step.
Cadel Evans, David Millar and Davide Rebellin are among the riders trapped in the second part of the split bunch.
As a result of the crashes, the peloton is now split in several little groups as the first climb of the day is looming.
A second crash took place a little bit further. Rain makes the road very slippery.
A spectacular crash took place in the middle of the peloton, involving more than 20 riders. Among the riders involved were Frank Schleck, polka-dot jersey holder Dionisio Galparsoro and Feddy Bichot. Most made it back on their bike.
Thierry Hupond is in the first climb, the Col de la Clayette (km 141)
Results of the second intermediate sprint in St Christophe in Brionnais (km 128.5):
1. Hupond
2. Hushovd
3. Steegmans.
The peloton is 13:15 behind Hupond.
Three riders from La Francaise des Jeux have taken the peloton’s reins, helping Credit Agricole chase escapee Thierry Hupond.
Thierry Hupond’s lead goes down for the first time since he surged at kilometre 30. The Frenchman now leads the peloton, led by Thor Hushovd’s Credit Agricole team-mates, by 14:45.
Six riders from team Credit Agricole, including yellow jersey holder Thor Hushovd, lead the chase at the front of the peloton.
Stage finishes in Belleville seem to inspire French riders to break away. In 2006, Nicolas Crosbie parted company with the peloton and held a maximum lead of 27:30 before being caught in the finale, 13 kms before the line.
Thierry Hupond’s lead reaches 15:10 at Paray-le-Monial (km 105.5)
Riders from 24 nations are taking part in this Paris-Nice, as follows:
France 37 (38 at the start minus Fedrigo who gave up)
Spain 25 (27 minus Pereiro and Duran Aroca)
Italy 20
Netherlands 15
Germany 12
Belgium 11
U.S. 8
Australia 6
Russia 4
Switzerland 3
Austria 2
Ukraine 2
Belarus 1
Denmark 1
Finland 1
Britain 1
Ireland 1
Japan 1
Kazakhstan 1
Luxembourg 1
Norway 1
Czech Republic 1
Slovakia 1
Slovenia 1
Km 104 - Thierry Hupond’s lead grows again to reach 14:45.
Race leader Thierry Hupond is in Paray-le-Monial, a town in which Alessandro Petacchi won a Paris-Nice stage in 2003.
Km 96.5 - The peloton reached the feeding zone in Digoin 13:40 behind leader Thierry Hupond.
Thierry Hupond (SKS) has been alone in front for 51 kilometres now and leads the bunch by 12:15.
If Hupond managed to hold until the finish line, he would be the first non-sprinter to win a Paris-Nice stage in Belleville. The three previous stages held here finished with mass sprints. The past winners - 2000: Fabio Baldato. 2002: Robbie McEwen. 2006: Tom Boonen.
Km 69.5 - Hupond leads the main pack by 11:05.
Oscar Pereiro decided not to start the second stage because of bronchitis.
"We did not want to have him start and risk a three-week break. We want him back on a bike as soon as possible," said Caisse d’Epargne team director Yvon Ledanois.
Km 64 - Hupond leads the bunch by nine minutes.
Results of the intermediate sprint in Vitry sur Loire (km 56):
1. Thierry Hupond (France, SKS)
2. Markus Eichler (Germany, Milram)
3. David Millar (Britain, Slipstream).
At kilometre 51, Hupond’s lead reached 7:40, making him the virtual leader of Paris-Nice. He trailed yellow jersey Thor Hushovd by 6:58 at the start.
Thierry Hupond is the typical "regional de l’etape". He was born 23 years ago in Decines, near Lyon, in the Rhone departement, not far from the stage finish in Belleville. In his first year as a pro, he was French junior time-trial champion in 2002.
Km 46 - The lead of stage leader Thierry Hupond reaches six minutes.
Km 35.5 - Hupond’s lead over the peloton reaches 1:45.
Km 33.5 - Hupond now leads the peloton by 40 seconds. The break takes momentum.
Km 30.5 - Another Frenchman parts with the peloton - Thierry Hupond (Skil Shimano).
Km 29 - Freddy Bichot tries his luck but his break his immediately reined in.
Km 22.5 - The three have been caught by the pack.
Silence Lotto team director Hendrick Redant admitted the loss of some three minutes by Cadel Evans in the first stage would affect the team’s tactics: « Cadel did not hurt himself too badly even though his right arm was bruised. Yet it’s not going to be easy to make up for lost time and it’s probably going to affect our tactics. In the Ventoux, everything is possible. As for Popovych, who was also involved in the crash and only made it back five kilometres from the finish, it’s hard to know where he stands. The Ventoux will tell us, » he told www.letour.fr
France’s Remi Pauriol (Credit Agricole), Clement Lhotellerie (Skil Shimano) and Sebastien Minard (Cofidis) broke clear after 16 kms. Their lead reached 15 seconds one kilometre later.
Spain’s Arkaitz Duran Aroca (Saunier Duval) has given up.
Yellow jersey :
1. Thor Hushovd (Norway, C.A)
2. Gert Steegmans (Belgium, Quick Step) 6 secs behind
3. Karsten Kroon (Netherlands, Team CSC) 12 secs
Green jersey :
1. Hushovd 45 pts
2. Kroon 28
3. Steegmans 25
Polka-dot jersey :
1. Dionisio Galparsoro (Spain, Euskaltel) 4 pts
2. Bernhard Eisel (Austria, High Road) 2
3. Peter Velits (Slovakia, Milram) 1 pt
White jersey :
1. Andriy Grivko (Ukraine, Milram)
2. Trent Lowe (Australia, Slipstream) one sec behind
3. Luis Sanchez (Spain, Caisse d’Epargne) five secs
Km 141 – Cote de la Clayette (3rd cat)
Km 160 – Col de Champ juin (3rd cat)
Km 167.5 – Col de Crie (3rd cat)
Km 181.5 – Col du Fut d’Avenas (2nd cat)
Km 56 – Vitry-sur-Loire
Km 128.5 – St Christophe-en-Brionnais
The start was given at 11:45 to 158 riders.
2006 Tour de France champion Oscar Pereiro did not take the start of the second stage after losing 13:25 in yesterday’s first stage.
France’s Pierrick Fedrigo was the first rider to quit in this year’s Paris-Nice. Involved in a crash early in the first stage, the Bouygues Telecom leader and former French champion is suffering from a groin injury.
« Someone crashed in front of me and there was nothing I could do, » he told sports daily l’Equipe.
Welcome on the 201-kms 2nd stage of Paris-Nice between Nevers and Belleville.
