65th Paris-Nice, Hors Category

France, March 8-15, 1998


Stage 1, Suresnes - Paris, ITT 10.2 kms

  1. Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi           12.31 (48.895)
  2. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE                        0.07
  3. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina                      0.19
  4. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina                       0.20
  5. Alex Zülle (Swi) Festina                           0.21
  6. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina                    0.22
  7. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN                              0.23
  8. Marcelino Garcia Alonso (Spa) ONCE                 0.24
  9. Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis                     0.25
 10. Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei                            0.27
 11. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service            0.28
 12. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino                             0.30
 13. Bobby Julich (USA) Cofidis                         0.31
 14. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN                           0.33
 15. Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis                       0.33
 16. Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal                 0.34
 17. Andrea Peron (Ita) La Francaise des Jeux           0.35
 18. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                 0.39
 19. Francisco Mancebo Perez (Spa) Banesto              0.39
 20. Mikel Zarrabeitia Uranga (Spa) ONCE                0.39
 21. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux       0.40
 22. Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank                      0.41
 23. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal                    0.41
 24. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Cofidis                     0.42
 25. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Casino                         0.43
 26. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) ONCE                            0.44
 27. Pascal Lino (Fra) BigMat Auber 93                  s.t.
 28. Arturas Kasputis (Lit) Casino                      s.t.
 29. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme                      0.45
 30. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Rabobank                  s.t.
 31. Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) BigMat Auber 93          0.47
 32. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei                            0.49
 33. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 34. Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina                   0.50
 35. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina                     0.51
 36. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 37. Jon Odriozola Mugarza (Spa) Banesto                0.53
 38. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux	0.54
 39. Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service
 40. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
 41. Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 42. Bradley McGee (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux          0.55
 43. Roland Meier (Swi) Cofidis
 44. Stephane Barthe (Fra) Casino
 45. Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service              0.56
 46. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
 47. Rafael Diaz Justo (Spa) ONCE
 48. Pascal Herve (Fra) Festina
 49. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) GAN                         0.57
 50. Roberto Heras Hernandez (Spa) Kelme                0.57
 51. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG              0.57
 52. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti                         0.58
 53. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Kelme         0.59
 54. Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Mutuelle                 1.00
 55. Jose Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 56. Jens Voigt (Ger) GAN
 57. Christophe Capelle (Fra) Cofidis
 58. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino                       1.01
 59. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti
 60. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei
 61. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotot-Mobistar              
 62. David Delrieu (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne     1.03
 63. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Cofidis
 64. Frederic Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux       
 65. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino
 66. Dirk Muller (Ger) Telekom-ARD 
 67. Evgueni Berzin (Rus) La Francaise des Jeux         1.04
 68. Charles Guilbert (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne  1.05
 69. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti                          1.06
 70. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis
 71. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank                       1.07
 72. Michele Rezzani (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG               1.07
 73. David Etxebarria Alkorta (Spa) ONCE
 74. Andre Korff (Ger) Festina                          1.08
 75. Stephane Cueff (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 76. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) US Postal Service           1.09
 77. Peter Meinert-nielsen (Den) US Postal Service
 78. Roberto Sierra Aguero (Spa) ONCE                   1.10
 79. Benoet Salmon (Fra) Casino                         1.11
 80. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom-ARD
 81. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank
 82. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG                 1.11
 83. Arsenio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme             1.12
 84. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 85. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale            1.13
 86. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93              1.14
 87. Frederic Moncassin (Fra) GAN
 88. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca             1.15
 89. Gilles Maignan (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne    1.16
 90. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei                          1.17
 91. Luis Perez Rodriguez (Spa) ONCE
 92. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei                             1.18
 93. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank
 94. Jay Sweet (Aus) BigMat Auber 93                    1.18
 95. Frederic Bessy (Fra) Casino
 96. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom-ARD                   1.19
 97. Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank                         1.20
 98. Jose Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) Banesto
 99. Udo Bolts (Ger) Telekom-ARD                        1.21
100. Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG            1.21
101. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
102. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank                         1.22
103. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN                                1.23
104. Jose Rodriguez Garcia (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
105. Ludwig Willems (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
106. Axel Merckx (Bel) Polti                            1.25
107. Viatcheslav Djavanian (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93       1.26
108. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
109. Aitor Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto                 1.27
110. Sven Teutenberg (Ger) US Postal Service            1.30
111. Dirk Baldinger (Ger) Telekom-ARD                   1.31
112. Davide Bramati (Ita) Mapei                         1.31
113. Georg Totschnig (Aut) Telekom-ARD
114. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti                         1.32
115. Rolf Aldag (Ger) Telekom                   
116. Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto                  1.33
117. Daniel Atienza Urendeze (Spa) Polti                1.35
118. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Lotto-Mobistar               1.36
119. Riccardo Ferrari (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG              1.36
120. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne 
121. Gilles Talmant (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne    1.37
122. Francois Simon (Fra) GAN 
123. David Latasa (Spa) Banesto
124. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
125. Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale         1.38
126. Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Polti                           1.39
127. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale           1.40
128. Jean-Philippe Dojwa (Fra) Mutuelle
129. Armand De las Cuevas (Fra)) Banesto                1.42
130. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale            1.43
131. Nicola Miceli (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG                 1.44
132. Vladislav Bobrik (Rus) Riso Scotti-MG              1.45
133. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
134. Cedric Vasseur (Fra) GAN                           1.46
135. Joona Laukka (Fin) Lotto-Mobistar                  1.49
136. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti                          1.50
137. Giuseppe Calcaterra (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale         1.51
138. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei                         1.52
139. Christian Charriere (Swi) Riso Scotti-MG           2.08
140. Jeremy Hunt (GB) Banesto                           2.12
141. Riccardo Faverio (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale            2.16
142. Alexandre Moos (Swi) Saeco-Cannondale              2.18
143. Vitali Kokorine (Rus) Saeco-Cannondale             2.19

Blaudzun do not start.
Thanks to Daniel Schamps for the complete results

Brief Report

Franck Vandenbroucke who rides with the Mapei-Bricobi team finally made an impact on big-time racing with a surprise win in the opening stage of the "Race to the Sun" (Paris-Nice) - a 10.2 km ITT prologue. The 23-year old from Belgum who came into cycling in 1994 with the unfortunate tag of being the next Eddy Merckx (as Belgians harkened for lost glories), beat the fancied Frenchman Laurent Jalabert by 7 seconds and Bruno Boscarding by 19 seconds.

The Belgian realised how important this was when he told Belgian TV that "Over the last three years, I made steady progress in time trials and I spent the winter break exercising against the clock. That's the first time I have won such an important time trial. I have won time trials in the past but I never won one so gruelling. Every year, I improve myself. And this is the first time I am physically fit so early in the season. Today, I proved that when I feel physically strong my results are good."