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Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
204 km
Thursday 12 March
Last in yesterday’s stage, Jeremy Roy (FDJeux) wins ahead of Voeckler and Martin.
Only one kilometre left for Roy.
Five seconds with two kilometres to go. It will be hard for Roy...
Voeckler did not budge when Roy went but Martin is chasing as hard as he can.
With five kilometres to go, Roy leads by eight seconds.
Jeremy Roy has moved now. What a strike! The Frenchman has not won a race in the pro ranks yet. He was second of a Tour de France stage last summer in Montlucon.
For the second time, Martin goes with 8 kms to go. Voeckler brings him back.
The time to collaborate is over. The escapees are now making their plans for the finale. Voeckler is a puncher, Martin probably the fastest in a sprint while Roy would dream of converting yesterday’s last place into victory...
The German rider also gauges his rivals for the final sprint.
15 kms from the finish, the lead of Roy, Martin and Voeckler was 3:20.
A crash took place at the back of the bunch including Gert Steegmans and Sergio Paulinho. Nothing too serious.
Voeckler attacks to test his breakaway companions.
With 20 kms to go, the lead of the three-man break is exactly four minutes, roughly Chavanel’s lead over Voeckler overall.
...and only the Quick Step are now working to protect Sylvain Chavanel’s yellow jersey.
Oddly enough, Jeremy Roy finished 150th and last in yesterday’s stage, 11:09 behind Christian Vandevelde. "I decided to save strength for tomorrow," he said on his website.
The three escapees crossed the line a first time before a last 25-km lap around Valon Pont d’Arc.
The bunch are riding along the Ardeche river and the spectacular Pont d’Arc, a natural rock arch over the Ardeche canyon.
Thomas Voeckler has been one of the in-form men of the early season, winning the Etoile de Besseges and Tour du Haut Var.
The Quick Step team of yellow jersey holder Sylvain Chavanel have taken the reins back in the peloton. A sprint finish would suit them too, espcially as Voeckler is 3:59 behind overall.
Km 162.5 - The gap on the sprint line was 5:05.
Result of the sprint in Ste Remeze (km 162.5):
1. Roy
2. Voeckler
3. Martin
As the peloton raises the pace, a dozen of riders are dropped from the back.
Reminder that you can find factfiles on the riders in the break in the STARTERS section of www.letour.fr by clicking on their bib numbers.
The average speed in the 4th hour of the stage was 44.9 kph (39.5 kph overall).
Km 147 - The reaction of the bunch pays off immediately, cutting the lead of the break back to six minutes.
Teams Milram, Cervelo, Lampre now lead the peloton. They obviously look forward to a mass sprint finish.
Columbia team director Brian Holm told www.letour.fr Tony Martin was not such a bad climber: “Our tactics was to try to have a man in a small group if it went away and I’m very surprised that Tony went because he was very tired yesterday but he’s very strong and today he was really impressive. He’s not Richard Virenque but he can climb pretty well. He won a couple of mountain jerseys in the amateur ranks. Now everything depends on what the sprinters teams will do, I’m thinking mostly about Lampre or Cervelo. We’ll have to wait and see but we’re already very pleased with the polka-dot jersey.”
Km 133 - The gap between the three leading riders and the main pack remains stable at 6:35.
The average speed in the third hour of the stage was 31.5 kph (37.7 kph).
Results at the top of the Col de Benas (1st cat, km 112.5)
1. Martin 10 points.
2. Voeckler 8 points
3. Roy 6 points
4. Auge 4 pts 6:30 behind
5. Burghardt 3 pts
6. Hernandez 2 pts
7. Dumoulin 1 pt
Philippe Gilbert (Silence Lotto) has given up.
Tony Martin (Columbia) was first at the top of the 1st category Col de Benas, he last climb of the day, ahead of his breakaway companions Thomas Voeckler and Jeremy Roy. With 43 points collected during the day, he will seize the polka-dot jersey at the finish.
Dane Brian Vandborg (Liquigas) bid farewell to Paris-Nice.
As the peloton moves close to the last climb, the pack is led by riders from the Astana and Quick Step teams.
The three leaders are tackling the last climb, the Col de Benas (1st cat) with a 6:40 lead over the peloton.
Km 91.5 - The peloton is 6:20 adrift at the top of the Col du Moulin-a-vent.
Km 91.5 - The peloton is 6:20 adrift at the top of the Col du Moulin-a-vent.
Tony Martin, who collected 29 points on the first five climbs of the day, would be an unlikely polka-dot jersey holder at the finish. At 1.84 metres high for 75 kilos, the young German has not the build of a climber and is above all a time trial specialist with four wins in the discipline since he turned pro.
The peloton, led by Auge and Hernandez, reached the top of the last climb 5:45 behind the break.
1. Martin 7 points
2. Voeckler 5 points
3. Roy 3 points
...
The average speed in the second hour of the stage was 38.7 kph for an overall average speed of 40.8 kph.
Km 72 - The gap keeps increasing. Its is now 5:50.
Quick Step team chief Wilfried Peeters told www.letour.fr that his team’s realistic goal on this Paris-Nice was for Kevin Seeldrayers to retain his young rider’s white jersey: “As we saw yesterday, in the climb, the strongest is Contador. We’re already delighted by Sylvain’s stage win two days ago and the publicity it gave the team for three days. We will defend it if doesn’t require too much energy. Of the three escapees, only Voeckler is dangerous overall. Tomorrow on the Montagne de Lure, Kevin has a great opportunity to defend his overall position. The white jersey is a more reasonable goal than keeping Sylvain in the yellow jersey. Once again, Contador remains the big favourite.”
1. Martin 4 pts
2. Voeckler 2 pts
3. Roy 1 pt
At the top of the last climb, the gap between the three-man break and the peloton reached 5:45 (km 60.5).
Tony Martin now leads the king of the mountains classification. But there are still four climbs on the day’s menu.
Results at the top of the Cote de Vernoux-en-Vivarais (3rd cat, Km 60.5):
1. Martin 4 points
2. Voeckler 2
3. Roy 1
1. Martin 7 pts
2. Voeckler 5 pts
3. Roy 3 pts
…
5:15 behind
…
4. Auge 2 pts
5. Hernandez 1
The gap reached five minutes at kilometre 50.
The gap bteween Roy, Martin, Voeckler and the peloton on the sprint line (km 44.5) reached 4:20.
Result of the sprint in Lamastre (km 44.5)
1. Voeckler 3 secs and 3 points
2. Martin 2
3. Roy 1
The first hour average speed was 42.9 kph.
Km 26 - The peloton has caught Aitor Hernandez and now lies 4:15 behind the three escapees.
Km 26 - Roy, Martin and Voeckler lead the peloton by 3:30. Hernandez is still in between the break and the main pack.
The yellow jersey stays on Sylvain Chavanel’s back yet Spain’s Juan Manuel Garate (Rabobank) is now but six seconds behind the Frenchman while Alberto Contador fought his way back to fourth place, 36 seconds adrift, in the same time as Juan Antonio Flecha.
The green jersey has changed hands again and is now held by Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre) on 50 points, with an eight points lead over Chavanel.
Despite struggling for most of yesterday’s stage, Stephane Auge was well inspired to score points on the first climb of the 4th stage, which allowed him to retain his polka-dot jersey with a one-point lead over his team-mate Samuel Dumoulin.
The young rider’s white jersey is still held by Belgium’s Kevin Seeldrayers (Quick Step).
Rabobank retains top spot in the team’s classification.
Results at the top of the Col de Juvenet (2nd cat, km 16)
1. Tony Martin 7 points
2. Voeckler 5
3. Roy 3
4. Hernandez 2
5. Stephane Auge (Cofidis) 1
Roy was dropped by his two breakaway companions one kilometre from the summit. Spain’s Aitor Hernandez is chasing behind the three to score points in the king of the mountains classification. The Euskaltel rider is currently third in the best climber’s standings.
Km 13- Three riders have parted company with the main pack — Jeremy Roy (FDJeux), Tony Martin (Columbia) and Thomas Voeckler (BBox Bouygues).
American Steven Cozza (Garmin) called it quits in the first climb of the day, the Col de Juvenet. He is the third Garmin rider to give up since the start.
Km 16: col de Juvenet, cat.2
Km 52.5: col de Montreynaud, cat.2
Km 60.5: cote de Vernoux-en-Vivarais, cat.3
Km 68: col de Comberon, cat.3
Km 86: cote de Chambon-de-Bavas, cat.2
Km 91.5: col du Moulin-à-Vent, cat.3
Km 113: col de Benas, cat.1
Km 16: col de Juvenet, cat.2
Km 52.5: col de Montreynaud, cat.2
Km 60.5: cote de Vernoux-en-Vivarais, cat.3
Km 68: col de Comberon, cat.3
Km 86: cote de Chambon-de-Bavas, cat.2
Km 91.5: col du Moulin-à-Vent, cat.3
Km 113: col de Benas, cat.1
Lamastre (km 44,5)
Sainte-Remèze (km 162.5)
The start was given to 148 riders. Two riders did not start: Enrico Franzoi (Liquigas) and Inigo Cuesta (Cervelo), who was the oldest rider in this Paris-Nice at 39.
In l’Equipe, Philippe Bouvet said that Chavanel was now warned about Contador’s intentions:
“The reply came fast. Like last year, Sylvian Chavanel retained his yellow jersey yesterday in St Etienne but now the Frenchman is warned. Alberto Contador will strike back to every blow.”
In Le Dauphine Libere, Philippe Court reminded that Contador was still the race favourite.
“Nothing had been planned yesterday but Contador’s blistering strike reminded everyone he was still the favourite : ‘He has the motivation of a rookie. It’s a very hard Paris-Nice, it’s far from over and Chavanel has a great potential. But I would like us to win to be able to prepare calmly for the Tour,” said (Astana team director) Alain Gallopin.”
The weather at the start is sunny and pretty cold (four degrees).
Paris-Nice had not returned to the Ardeche region since 1952, when Louison Bobet won in Annonay.
Welcome on the 204-kms 5th stage of Paris-Nice between Annonay and Vallon Pont d’Arc.
