Time to climb
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ByEurosport
Published 07/03/2006 at 13:35 GMT
With five climbs in the final 70km of today's second stage of Paris-Nice, the 200km trip from Cerilly to Belleville promises a new day, and likely a new leader. With victory in Monday's flat first stage Tom Boonen has said he can now "relax," which leaves
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"It's good to have won that stage because now we can relax and take it easy until the end of Paris-Nice," Boonen said of him and his Quick Step companions after he snagged the leader's jersey with a stage one victory.
Though team CSC set up the world champion sprinter perfectly for a final attack in Monday's bunch sprint, the mountain goats will have their way in stage two.
Four of the five final climbs are catagory threes, with the steepest coming at the 143km mark with a 2.6km ascent up a 5.6% gradient.
Then with two final Cat. 3 climbs right in succession 21km before the finish line at Belleville, victory will be a steep chore.
The winner of both the polka-dot jersey and the yellow jersey could very well come out of those final two climbs at Cotes des Rochettes and Col de Fot d'Avenas.
Jens Voigt, who finished fourth overall in 2005 could take the yellow jersey back for CSC after 2005 winner Bobby Julich lost it to Boonen.
Frenchman Stephane Auge (Cofidis) currently wears the climber's jersey after beating compatriot Christophe Laurent (Agritubel) to the top of the stage one's lone climb, but if Voigt wants a victory he may have to go both polka-dot and yellow.
Then again, with another cold, rainy day forecast, it could be anyone's race.
Follow LIVE coverage of Paris-Nice all week long on www.eurosport.com and Eurosport TV.
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