Eyes on the prize

ByEurosport

Published 08/03/2006 at 13:30 GMT

With a 10km Cat. 1 climb waiting at the end of stage three, the favourites now look to take the Paris-Nice lead from Tom Boonen. The Americans Floyd Landis (Phonak) and Bobby Julich (CSC) are both poised to make a move on Boonen's yellow jersey.

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

Boonen won the first two stages of the contest for the second year in a row, easing to victory in two final bunch sprints.

But the Belgian world champion has promised to relax some in the final stages of Paris-Nice, and stage three's 6.5% gradient climb finale at Col de la Croix-de-Chaubouret gives the early favourites a chance to get back in the hunt.

Landis won the inaugural Tour of California earlier this season, and lies in eighth place 25 seconds off of Boonen's lead pace.

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Julich, winner of the Paris-Nice prologue and the 2005 edition of the race, finished third at the Tour of California, and is trying to make it a CSC victory for the third consecutive year in the Race to the Sun.

He is currently in second at 17 seconds behind Boonen.

Also in the hunt will be Julich's teammates Carlos Sastre, a top climber, and Jens Voigt, who finished fourth in last year's Paris-Nice.

It will be interesting to see how Liberty Seguros rider Andrey Kashechkin (KAZ), responds to Wednesday's 168.5km voyage from Julienas to Saint-Etienne as he sits in third overall, 18 seconds off pace after finishing just behind Julich in the prologue.

Follow complete LIVE coverage of Paris-Nice all week long on Eurosport TV and www.eurosport.com.

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