The Paris-Nice has officially begun. The Prologue course through the streets of Houilles (9.6 km) favored the time trialists. And in this setting, it was the Frenchman Damien Gaudin (Europcar) who recorded the best time (3’37”). As a result, he dons the first Yellow Jersey as the leader of the race.
The Paris-Nice kicked off early this afternoon in the streets of Houilles, in the Yvelines department. A small surprise with Damien Gaudin’s victory. Not really, you’d say, for those familiar with his background. The 26-year-old cyclist comes from track cycling. A three-time French pursuit champion (2009, 2010, and 2012) and team pursuit champion from 2008 to 2011, he has all the skills to excel over this distance. This victory is the perfect example.
Several experienced riders crossed the line without beating the time of the Europcar cyclist. Among them were Tejay Van Garderen, Jean-Christophe Pรฉraud, and Peter Velits, but his time held till the end. Note the impressive second place of Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) just 1 second behind the day’s winner, level with Dutchman Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM), effectively a wheel’s difference. The gaps remain minimal over such distances. Damien Gaudin takes the first Yellow Jersey as the leader of the General Classification.
Tomorrow, it’s time for the first stage with 195 km between Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Nemours, not the Belgian city but indeed in Seine-et-Marne. A stage suitable for sprinters. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Tom Boonen, Alessandro Pettachi, Jakob Fuglsang, Marcel Kittel, or Nacer Bouhanni, the French road champion, contest the stage victory. Cyclists will need to be mindful of crosswinds, the moments when teams use side winds to create splits in the peloton.
