|
Nice
119 km
Sunday 15 March
Luis Leon Sanchez finishes in the peloton, 18 seconds behind Colom, and wins the 67th Paris-Nice.
Antonio Colom wins the 8th and final stage of Paris Nice ahead of Alberto Contador and Frank Schleck.
Schleck attacks under the red flame.
With two kilometres to go, Schleck leads the trio, hoping to upstage Chavanel for second place.
Contador, Colom and Schleck are three kilometres from the finish. The peloton, in which Chavanel is back, are 20 seconds adrift.
Sanchez has been caught by the peloton. Contador, Colom and Schleck are in the lead.
Chavanel is fighting hard to return into the main pack.
Contador has been caught by Antonio Colom and Frank Schleck with 10 kms to go.
Contador only leads Sanchez by 12 seconds. The yellow jersey holder is with France’s Jonathan Ivert, chasing behind Colom and Schleck.
Green jersey holder Sylvain Chavanel has a mechanical problem. His chain snapped.
Result of the sprint in Eze (km 105)
1. Contador
2. Colom
3. Schleck
Results at the top of Col d’Eze (km 103)
1. Contador
2. Evans 15 secs behind
3. Colom
4. Schleck
5. Lopez Garcia 25 secs beind
6. Sanchez
7. Hivert
Sanchez attacked at the top of the Col d’Eze.
One kilometre from the summit (km 102) Contador leads Evans, Schleck and Colom by 22 seconds and the peloton by 28 seconds.
Restless yesteday on the road to Fayence, Antonio Colom (Katusha) surges with Schleck on his heels. Cadel Evans also tries to join them.
The peloton catches Casar and Lopez Garcia. The gap remains stable at 30 seconds.
The peloton, led by a Saxo Bank rider with Sanchez and Chavanel in his wheel, is 30 seconds behind.
A last strike by Contador was fatal to Lopez Garcia. The 2007 Paris-Nice is on his own now with 19 kms to go.
Contador attacks on the Col d’Eze. Lopez Garcia joins him.
The lead is now down to 30 seconds.
Taaramae has been caught by the peloton in the descent.
Results at La Turbie (Km 88.5, 1st cat)
1. Casar
2. Contador
3. Lopez Garcia
4. Taaramae 35 secs behind
5. Fuglsang 50 secs behind
6. Sanchez
7. Schleck
Casar helps Contador, hoping for stage victory. Lopez Garcia, logically, does not make any effort to help the break.
Km 85 - Reine Taaramae (Cofidis) has now been dropped by Contador, Casar and Lopez Garcia. Three men in the lead. The bunch are 55 seconds off the pace.
Hernandez has been caught by the main pack.
Contador does not leave anybody take the reins. He leads Casar, Lopez Garcia and Taaramae in the climb as the gap increases again: 50 seconds.
Aitor Hernandez (Euskaltel), who had also lost touch in the Col de la Porte, has been dropped from the leading group on La Turbie.
Caisse d’Epargne team director said he expected attacks by Contador: "He’s a great champion and we expected him to attack but our team spirit is great and Luis Leon Sanchez can count on his team-mates," he told France Television.
The five escapees are now in the second climb, La Turbie.
Km 81 - The gap goes up again to 30 seconds. The five are not giving up without a fight.
In La Trinite (km 77), the gap has been cut down to 35 seconds.
Km 76 - The lead of the five escapees on the peloton has gone down to 45 seconds.
Astana team chief Alain Gallopin made it clear Alberto Contador would keep fighting until the finish line: "As long as the finish line has not been crossed, we’ll keep trying. I’m a little bit disappointed to see the Saxo Bank lead the chase to protect their second place. They harmed the break for sure," he told France Television.
The ploton caught the first chasing group comprising Garate, Popovych, Haussler, Nocentini, Peterson and Verdugo.
Km 72 - Contador, Hernandez, Lopez Garcia, Casar and Taaramae lead the Nocentini group by 1:25 and the peloton by 1:35.
The peloton is now 1:45 behind the Contador group and only 20 seconds behind the first chasing group, comprising Garate, Popovych, Haussler, Nocentini, Peterson and Verdugo.
Frank Schleck’s team-mates are helping Caisse d’Epargne chase behind Contador.
Km 59 - The gap between the five and the Sanchez group: 2:12.
Hernandez caught Contador, Casar, Lopez Garcia and Taaramae in the descent. Five men in the lead.
Two years ago, Alberto Contador had won Paris-Nice on the last day. He is obviously bidding for a remake.
Polka-dot jersery holder Tony Martin has punctured in the descent of the Col de la Porte.
Results at the top of the Col de la Porte (Km 51, 1st cat)
1. Contador 10 points
2. Casar 8
3. Taaramae 6
4. Lopez Garcia 4
5. Hrtnandez 3 25 secs behind
6. Garate 2 1:20
7. Oroz 1
Peloton 2:05 behind
Results at the top of the Col de la Porte (Km 51, 1st cat)
1. Contador
2. Casar
3. Taaramae
4. Lopez Garcia
The four escapees are one kilometre away from the top of the climb.
Km 48 - The peloton, led by Caisse d’Epargne riders, trail the four escapess by 1:40.
Km 48 - The peloton, led by Caisse d’Epargne riders, trail the four escapess by 1:40.
Contador has embarked on a long and risky attempt. He leads relentlessly with Taaramae and Lopez Garcia on his heels. Casar fights to stay with them.
Aitor Hernandez has been dropped from the leading group. Casar is strugglin too.
Km 48 - The five lead the peloton by 1:20. After his pucnture, Luis Leon Sanchez is back in the pack.
Km 47 - Another pucnture for Sanchez, this time the front wheel!
Nine riders belonging to the initial break have been caught by the peloton.
Km 45 - Contador, Hernandez, Lopez Garcia, Casar and Taaramae lead the Sanchez group by one minute.
Contador has seized the reins of the leading group as they tackle the first turns of the Col de la Porte.
Taaramae has been caught by the Contador group.
Yellow jersey holder Luis Leaon Sanchez punctured!
Km 43 - Taarame leads his bormer breakaway companions, including Contador, by 10 seconds. The bunch are 30 seconds adrift.
The Caisse d’Epargne team-mates of Luis Leon Sanchez are leading the bunch.
Km 42 - Contador has now joined the group chasing behind Taaramae.
Km 42 - Taaramae has surged from the leading group and is alone in the lead.
Km 41 - The 25 leaders have dropped De Kort, Contador is chasing. The first part of the bunch is 25 seconds behind.
Contador attacks at the foot of the Col de la Porte!
The peloton split again behind the 25 breakaways.
David Millar (Garmin)crashed and called it quits. The Briton had high ambitions on this Paris-Nice but was never in contention.
Km 36 - The gap is now 52 seconds. It reached a maximum of 1:25 at kilometre 30.
The 25 riders in the front are Nocentini (AG2R), Flecha, Garate and Tjallingii (Rabobank) , Lowe and Peterson (Garmin), Van impe (QuickStep), Dyachenko and Popovych (Astana), Pereiro and Lopez Gacia (Caisse d’Epargne), Casar (FD Jeux), Kolobnev and Kroon (Saxo Bank), Kuschynski (Liquigas), Taaramae (Cofidis), Hernandez, Perez and Verdugo (Euskaltel), Bonnaire (Bbox Bouygues), Eskov (Katusha), Bandiera (Lampre), Knees (Milram), Haussler (Cervelo) and De Kort (Skil Shimano).
Km 29 - The 25 lead the main bunch by 50 seconds.
Six Caisse d’Epargne riders lead the chase behind the 25 escapees. Latest gap: 45 seconds.
Km 25 - The 25 riders in the front lead the main pack by 30 seconds.
Km 25 - 25 riders are in the front.
Some 30 riders are leading the peloton by a few hundred metres.
1. Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank)3 secs, 3 points
2. Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R) 2
3. Christian Knees (Milram) 1
Km 10 - The peloton is packed together. No serious attempt yet.
The start was given at 11:56.
119 riders will start in a couple of minutes. Bram Tankink (Rabobank)did not start.
Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) holds the race leader’s yellow jersey thanks to his blistering attack and brilliant win in yesterday’s stage. The Spaniard leads France’s Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) by 1:09 and Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank) by 1:21.
Germany’s Tony Martin (Columbia) strengthened his polka-dot jersey and now leads on 55 points, with a 23 points lead over France’s Jeremy Roy (FD Jeux).
Chavanel leads the points classification on 79 points, ahead of Sanchez, who is on 66 while German Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo) is one point behind the yellow jersey holder.
Belgium’s Kevin Seeldrayers retained the young rider’s white jersey with an unchanged 28 seconds lead over Frenchman Jonathan Hivert.
Team Saxo Bank are solid leaders in the team classification.
Km 51: Col de la Porte (1st cat)
Km 88.5: La Turbie (1st cat)
Km 103 : Col d’Eze (1st cat)
Km 18.5: Plan du Var
Km 105: Eze.
Welcome on the 119-kms 8th and final stage of Paris-Nice.
