65th Paris-Nice, Hors Category

France, March 8-15, 1998


Before the Start

The start of the 5th stage of Paris-Nice has been moved, on Thursday morning to Vichy à Saint-Just-en-Chevalet (Loire), some 44 kms from the scheduled start, because there was snow on the parcours. The revised stage distance, which is due to finish on the top of Col de la République via Saint Etienne will now be 113 km.

The race director Josette Leulliot said: "The snow did not permit the race to pass over the Col du Beau-Louis. There are many uncertainties and risks. The riders will travel to Saint-Just-en-Chevalet by their team cars ready for the start.:

The arrival at the 1072 m Col de la République does also pose a problem.

Stage 5: Nevers - Col de la Republique, 113 kms

  1. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei                2.42.08
  2. Marcelino Garcia (Spa) ONCE                        0.02
  3. Alex Zuelle (Swi) Festina                          0.22
  4. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Casino                         s.t.
  5. Roberto Heras (Spa) Kelme                          s.t.
  6. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE                        0.27
  7. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina                    s.t.
  8. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Rabobank                  s.t.
  9. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                0.29
 10. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) ONCE                            0.31
 11. Mikel Zarrabeitia Uranga (Spa) ONCE                s.t.
 12. Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank                      0.53
 13. Pascal Lino (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                 s.t.
 14. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina                       s.t.
 15. David Etxebarria (Spa) ONCE                        s.t.
 16. Francisco Mancebo Perez (Spa) Banesto              1.10
 17. Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93         s.t.
 18. Jens Voigt (Ger) GAN                               s.t.
 19. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux       s.t.
 20. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino                        s.t.
 21. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina                     s.t.
 22. Francisco Cabello Luque (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca   s.t.
 23. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca             s.t.
 24. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti                         1.27
 25. Jose Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) Banesto           s.t.
 26. Evgueni Berzin (Rus) La Francaise des Jeux
 27. Aitor Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto
 28. Bobby Julich (US) Cofidis
 29. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino
 30. Dirk Baldinger (Ger) Telekom                       1.39
 31. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Kelme         
 32. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                   
 33. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Lotto-Mobistar
 34. Cédric Vasseur (Fra) GAN
 35. Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal
 36. Roberto Sierra Aguero (Spa) ONCE
 37. Frederic Bessy (Fra) Casino
 38. Joona Laukka (Fin) Lotto-Mobistar
 39. Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina
 40. Jose Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 41. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
 42. Frankie Andreu (US) US Postal
 43. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino
 44. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina
 45. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank
 46. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
 47. Rafael Diaz Justo (Spa) ONCE
 48. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux          2.12
 49. Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Casino
 50. Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 51. luis perez-rodriguez
 52. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Cofidis
 53. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 54. Viatcheslav Djavanian (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93
 55. Axel Merckx (Bel) Polti
 56. François Simon (Fra) GAN
 57. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN                              2.19
 58. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar              3.02
 59. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 60. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Cofidis                     3.28
 61. Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                   3.54
 62. Frederic Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 63. Gilles Maignan (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 64. Jon Odriozola Mugarza (Spa) Banesto
 65. Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom-ARD
 66. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux
 67. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN
 68. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93
 70. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
 71. Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Banesto
 72. George Hincapie (US) US Postal
 73. Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
 74. Udo Bölts (Ger) Telekom
 75. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti
 76. Benoit Salmon (Fra) Casino
 77. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
 78. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti                          4.25
 79. Arturas Kasputis (Ltu) Casino
 80. Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93             4.47
 81. Léon van Bon (Ned) Rabobank                        5.17
 82. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei                          5.26
 83. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) GAN
 84. Charles Guilbert (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
 85. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) GAN
 86. Arsenio Gonzalez Gutierrez (Spa) Kelme             5.58
 87. Nico Mattan (Bel) Mapei                            6.05
 88. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei
 89. Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis
 90. Christophe Capelle (Fra) Cofidis
 91. Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
 92. vVladislav Bobrik (Rus) Riso Scotti-MG             7.34
 93. Christian Henn (Ger) Telekom-ARD
 94. Georg Totschnig (Aut) Telekom-ARD 
 95. Roland Meier (Swi) Cofidis
 96. Andre Korff (Ger) Festina
 97. Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
 98. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank
 99. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank
100. Pascal Herve (Fra) Festina
101. Jorg Jaksche (Ger) Polti
102. Jean-Philippe Dojwa (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
103. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti
104. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN
105. Gian Matteo Fagnini (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
106. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
107. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
108. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) US Postal Service
109. Ludwig Willems (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar
110. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei
111. Jay Sweet (Aus) Big Mat-Auber 93                   8.35
112. David Latasa (Spa) Banesto                         8.50
113. Alexandre Moos (Swi) Saeco-Cannondale
114. Peter Meinert-nielsen (Den) US Postal Service
115. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei                            9.31
116. Stephane Cueff (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
117. Jose Rodriguez Garcia (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
118. Davide Bramati (Ita) Mapei
119. Andrea Peron (Ita) La Francaise des Jeux
120. Riccardo Faverio (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale
121. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis
122. Rolf Aldag (Ger) Telekom
123. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei
124. Bradley McGee (Aus) La Francaise des Jeux
125. Dirk Muller (Ger) Telekom-ARD 
127. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti 
128. Jeremy Hunt (GB) Banesto
129. Riccardo Ferrari (Ita) Riso Scotti-MG
130. Jan Koerts (Ned) Rabobank
131. Armand De Las Cuevas (Fra) Banesto                 s.t.
132. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne   11.14
133. Gilles Talmant (Fra) Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
134. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank                        11.39

Did not start: Daniel Atienza (Spa) Polti

GC after Stage 5

  1. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei               17.55.37
  2. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE                        0.44
  3. Marcelino Garcia (Spa) ONCE                        0.46
  4. Alex Zulle (Swi) Festina                           0.57
  5. Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina                    1.12
  6. Rodolfo Massi (Ita) Casino                         1.14
  7. Mikel Zarrabeitia Uranga (Spa) ONCE                1.23
  8. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Rabobank                  1.27
  9. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Festina                       1.28
 10. Roberto Heras (Spa) Kelme                          1.43
 11. Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank                      1.49
 12. Inigo Cuesta Lopez De (Spa) ONCE                   1.51
 13. David Etxebarria (Spa) ONCE                        2.00
 14. Pascal Lino (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                 2.01
 15. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino                             2.03
 16. Francisco Mancebo Perez (Spa) Banesto              2.04
 17. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux       2.05
 18. Francisco Cabello Luque (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca   2.10
 19. Bobby Julich (US) Cofidis                          2.13
 20. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina                      2.14
 21. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina                     2.16
 22. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                2.26
 23. Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal                 2.28
 24. Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93         2.33
 25. Jens Voigt (Ger) GAN                               2.48
 26. Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Casino                        2.51
 27. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) Kelme         3.02
 28. Jose Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) Banesto           s.t.
 29. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                   3.04
 30. Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti                         3.09
 31. Evgueni Berzin (Rus) La Francaise des Jeux         s.t.
 32. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino                       3.15
 33. Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service             3.17
 34. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN                              3.25
 35. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Lotto-Mobistar               3.44
 36. Roberto Sierra Aguero (Spa) ONCE                   s.t.
 37. Cédric Vasseur (Fra) GAN                           3.48
 38. Axel Merckx (Bel) Polti                            3.52
 39. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Cofidis                     3.53
 40. Dirk Baldinger (Ger) Telekom                       3.54
 41. Rafael Diaz Justo (Spa) ONCE                       4.02
 42. Jose Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca  4.03
 43. Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina                   4.13
 44. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar              4.19
 45. Joona Laukka (Fin) Lotto-Mobistar                  4.23
 46. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank                          4.24
 47. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Cofidis                     4.25
 48. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux          4.33
 49. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale            4.35
 50. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN                           s.t.
Thanks to my friend Stephane David for the results

Brief Report

Frank Vandenbroucke (Mapei) has won the 5th stage which finished on top of the summit of the Col de la République near to Saint-Etienne, in snow and bitter cold.

The Belgian attacked in the last kms of the climb after several attempts to get away from the Spanish riders Marcelino Garcia and Roberto Heras. They were with Swiss rider Alex Zulle and Italian Rodolfo Massi. Garcia was the last rider to resist Vandenbroucke and finished second for the stage at 22 seconds.

Vandenbroucke's Mapei team controlled the stage beautifully against the efforts of Casino working for Laurie Aus and Festina who had both Bruno Boscardin and Pascal Herve in top GC positions. But once they reached the mountain it was the Belgian who put the distance between himself and the other contenders including Laurent Jalabert. Jalabert admitted that the Belgian was the superior rider on the stage. He said: "I know my limits." He is now in second place on GC 44 seconds behind VDB.