Boonen brilliant at end

ByEurosport

Published 06/03/2006 at 16:02 GMT

World champion Tom Boonen sprinted to victory in the flat 193 km first stage of Paris-Nice to take the yellow jersey from Bobby Julich on Monday. Australian Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros) finished second in the final bunch sprint at St. Armand, but was eas

CYCLING 2006 Paris-Nice Tom Boonen stage one win

Image credit: Reuters

Steady rain fell throughout the day, as Boonen, who won the Tour of Qatar and the Doha GP earlier this year, was ultimately the strongest in the final stretch.

Davis made an effort to bully out Boonen, but could only manage second in front of Spain's Francisco Ventoso (Saunier Duval) as Boonen outsprinted both men at the death.

"Two weeks ago, when I saw the roadbook, I had [stage one] marked down as one of my main goals," he said after the race. "It was a flat stage which suited me fine even though the conditions made it very hard.

Cycling

Lefevere's public scolding of Alaphilippe 'just not acceptable' - Lloyd

22/02/2024 at 13:14

"It was cold, it rained and I'm all the happier to have been able to win in such conditions."

CYCLING 2006 Paris-Nice stage one snow

Image credit: Reuters

With the victory on stage one of the first race of the UCI pro season Boonen joins sprint specialists Frederic Moncassin and Alessandro Petacchi, who won the flat voyage from Villemandeur to Saint-Amand-Montrond in 1996 and 2002 respectively.

"It's good for the team morale at the start of a week that looks to be a hardfought one. I'm also hapy to have taken the yellow jersey thanks to my fine performance in the prologue."

The 25-year-old Belgian won two stages at the 'Race to the Sun' in 2005.

"It's good to have won that stage because now we can relax and take it easy until the end of Paris-Nice."

Boonen was part of a large chasing pack for most of the day's journey through the rainy central flat-land of France, as the French pair of Stephane Auge (Cofidis) and Christophe Laurent (Agritubel) led until the final kilometres.

Laurent and Auge attacked at the 60km mark and built a lead of more than ten minutes. Auge took the early climber's polka dot jersey thanks to a long breakaway at the top of the third category La Vieille Cote climb 17km from the finish.

But neither of the Frenchman could hold on, and they were absorbed by the peloton around six kilometres from the end line.

It was then left to Boonen, who was set up perfectly by his Quick Step teammates. Quick Step held the lead throughout the last minutes giving Boonen the opportunity for the final winning push.

Boonen has said that he looks at Paris-Nice as a preparation for the spring classics and was only really looking for a single stage win.

"In the team we have four or five riders who can do well in the classics and that's a luxury," he said after the race.