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PARIS-NICE - Stage 1
A TRICKY START
Cold, rain, wind, echelons : nothing was spared to the riders this Sunday for the start of Paris-Nice. Although Elia Viviani and Guillaume Martin lost a lot of time but they are ready to take their revenge tomorrow.
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There was an air of chaos on the first stage of Paris-Nice this Sunday. Throughout a 154 km loop around Plaisir in the Yvelines, the riders were subjected to a tough test. Rain fell continuously on the course and gusts of wind favoured curbs and falls.
Viviani and Martin, looking forward to tomorrow
Cyril Lemoine (37 years old), particularly at ease, managed to get into the leading group when the peloton was already dislocated. Behind them however, Elia Viviani and Guillaume Martin were trapped and were unable to catch up with the men who dominated the race.
Although the two leaders of Cofidis lost time , they are already looking forward to getting back on the road in order to aim for a stage victory in a sprint for the European champion - or to try to shine in the mountain stages (Guillaume Martin).
At the end of this first stage, all the riders know the need to be particularly vigilant tomorrow: with the wind forecast between Chevreuse and Chalette-sur-Loing, they will have to hold on to the lead once again to hope to make the most of it.
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Guillaume MARTIN: " I'm not going to hide it, it was a bad day for me. Every time it broke in the echelons , I got trapped. I lacked a bit of strength on the flat sections to be able to keep up. I knew when I saw the weather forecast that it was going to look like this and I was prepared for it. It's all in the details, unfortunately. We're going to try to digest this day and we'll make a first assessment after the stopwatch to see what objectives we can set ourselves. »
Elia VIVIANI: "At Paris-Nice, there are often departures like this with rain, wind and curbs. In the end, it was the conditions of a Classic and the result confirms it. I'm a bit disappointed because the idea was to place Guillaume (Martin) in a good position. But if we take a slightly more aggressive approach, starting tomorrow, I'm sure we'll have some opportunities to shine. I am convinced that we will be able to have a real sprint and a good explanation with all the great sprinters who are here. »
Cyril LEMOINE: "I had a good feeling today. At the start of the race, I did everything I could to be well placed. There was a bump on the edge and it's a real shame because Guillaume Martin was right behind me and he didn't miss much so that we could be together in the leading group. At the end of the stage, it was a big boost and I paid a little bit for my efforts by being dropped 5 km from the finish. »
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33rd - Cyril Lemoine at 1'36".
50th - Guillaume Martin at 2'42
55th - Julien Vermote at 2'57
60th - Nicolas Edet at 3'06
84th - Anthony Pérez at 3'47".
86th - Damien Touzé, '
92nd - Piet Allegaert at 4'11".
103rd - Elia Viviani at 9'33".
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Chevreuse - Chalette-sur-Loing (166,5 km)
Cédric VASSEUR: "Just like this first stage, the second stage promises to be particularly tricky. With the bad weather and the wind forecast, there is no guarantee that the finish will be a sprint. To enable Elia (Viviani) to shine, we'll have to fight all day."
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