66th Paris-Nice, Hors Category

France, March 7-14, 1999

The Stages

  • Stage 1 - Boulogne-Billancourt - Paris, ITT 9 kms:
  • Stage 2 - Nangis - Sens, 184 kms:
  • Stage 3 - Sens - Nevers, 203 kms:
  • Stage 4 - Nevers - Vichy, 194.5 kms:
  • Stage 5 - Cusset - Firminy, 187 kms:
  • Stage 6 - Romans - Sisteron, 211 kms:
  • Stage 7 - Sisteron - Valberg, 198 kms:
  • Stage 8 - Nice - Nice, 157 kms:

Stage 1, Boulogne-Billancourt - Paris, ITT 9 kms:

British rider Chris Boardman, who last won in the prologue of the 1998 Tour de France, returned with a victory in the first stage of Paris-Nice, a time trial of 9 kms on Sunday afternoon in Boulogne-Billancourt, near to the heart of Paris.

The public came out in numbers to see the return of top-level cycling in France and to encourage Richard Virenque on the great avenue leading to l'Arc de Triomphe and to see the "double" for the French team Crédit Agricole. Chris Boardman and Australian Stuart O'Grady, two former track specialists, were 1 and 2, respectively with the race favourite, Belgian Frank Vandenbroucke, 3rd at 6 seconds.

The Crédit Agricole now can control the race. But it was also consoling for VDB that his time was clearly better than the other major pretenders for the race overall. American Lance Armstrong was 9th at 0.14, Kazak Alexandre Vinokourov was 26th a further 20 seconds behind VDB and Dutchman Michael Boogerd was 37th some 25 seconds behind him.

Richard Virenque was making his great comeback and he said he was touched by the support that the public gave him. He rode a creditable time - 29 seconds behind Boardman - and was happy given that he he not a specialist time trialler.

Roger Legeay said after the stage: "All the things came together for Chris today. But there has been no recent indications for us. He has been training at home in recent weeks and has been looking towards this prologue victory. In this Paris-Nice, he does not have ambitions for the final GC. This season he is going to make the breakthrough ... It is he who will do it."

The holder of the world hour record, in his 6th professional season, is always threatening in the ITTs. He recently announced that he has no ambitions to win the GC in any of the major stage races on the professional calendar. His bad fall in the first stage of the 1998 Tour de France after he wore the yellow jersey from the prologue effected his confidence. It was 3 years after the accident in the prologue at Saint-Brieuc.

It was a clear day for the former track cyclists riding on the same French team. Boardman (at more than 52 km/h average) and O'Grady close behind at the top of the hierarchy. But Estonien Jan Kirsipuu (4th), Belgian Andrei Tchmil (5th), Philippe Gaumont (6th) and Frédéric Moncassin (8th), are in contact.

On Monday, Stage 2 between Nangis and Sens (184.7 kms), to the south-east of Paris, is over a difficult parcours with a final finishing circuit of 28.7 kms.

Stage Results 

   1. Chris Boardman (GB) Crédit Agricole                  10.20.82 (52.189 km/h)
   2. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole                     0.02
   3. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Cofidis                       0.06
   4. Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Casino                               0.07
   5. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                       0.07
   6. Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis                           0.10
   7. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank                             0.11
   8. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) Crédit Agricole                 0.11
   9. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service                  0.14
  10. Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Festina                        0.14
  11. Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) Vini Caldirola                    0.15
  12. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank                              0.18
  13. Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Casino                             0.18
  14. Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca       0.19
  15. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Festina                             0.20
  16. Jacky Durand (Fra) Lotto-Mobistar                        0.21
  17. Frédéric Finot (Fra) Crédit Agricole                     0.22
  18. Dario Frigo (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale                       0.22
  19. Henk Vogels (Aus) Crédit Agricole                        0.22
  20. Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank                        0.22
  21. Axel Merckx (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step                       0.22
  22. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino                                   0.23
  23. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service                  0.24
  24. Christopher Horner (USA) La Française des Jeux           0.25
  25. Francisco Cabello Luque (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         0.26
  26. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Casino                        0.26
  27. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank                               0.26
  28. Francisco Andreu (USA) US Postal Service                 0.27
  29. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Mapei-Quick Step                  0.28
  30. Tyler Hamilton (USA) US Postal Service                   0.28
  31. Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Festina                            0.28
  32. Richard Virenque (Fra) Polti                             0.29
  33. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Post Swiss Team                    0.29
  34. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti                                0.30
  35. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                    0.30
  36. Andrej Hauptmann (Slo) Vini Caldirola                    0.30
  37. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank                           0.31
  38. Christophe Bassons (Fra) La Française des Jeux           0.32
  39. Jens Voigt (Ger) Crédit Agricole                         0.32
  40. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Française des Jeux             0.34
  41. Javier Pascual Llorente (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         0.34
  42. Pascal Lino (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                       0.34
  43. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Polti                              0.35
  44. Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale                0.36
  45. Fabian Jeker (Swi) Festina                               0.37
  46. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale                  0.37
  47. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                 0.37
  48. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Festina                            0.37
  49. Benoît Salmon (Fra) Casino                               0.38
  50. Jo Planckaert (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                       0.38
  51. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         0.38
  52. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                   0.39
  53. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step                        0.39
  54. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis                             0.39
  55. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                         0.39
  56. Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Casino                             0.40
  57. Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) La Française des Jeux           0.40
  58. Peter Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                     0.40
  59. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Française des Jeux                0.41
  60. Markus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank                              0.43
  61. Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) Mapei-Quick Step                0.44
  62. Massimo Apollonio (Ita) Vini Caldirola                   0.44
  63. Mauro Zinetti (Ita) Polti                                0.44
  64. Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service                    0.44
  65. Gert Verheyen (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                       0.46
  66. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank                              0.45
  67. Yvon Ledanois (Fra) La Française des Jeux                0.47
  68. Arnaud Pretot (Fra) Cofidis                              0.48
  69. Olivier Pereaudeau (Fra) Crédit Agricole                 0.48
  70. Gianluca Sironi (Ita) Vini Caldirola                     0.49
  71. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                  0.49
  72. Daniel Schnider (Swi) Post Swiss Team                    0.50
  73. Pascal Deramé (Fra) US Postal Service                    0.50
  74. Sven Montgomery (Swi) Post Swiss Team                    0.51
  75. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) La Française des Jeux              0.52
  76. Francisco Leon Mane (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca             0.54
  77. Denis Lunghi (Ita) Polti                                 0.55
  78. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) La Française des Jeux             0.55
  79. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) Polti                             0.56
  80. Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo               0.56
  81. Mirko Crepaldi (Ita) Polti                               0.56
  82. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                     0.60
  83. Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Festina                             0.56
  84. Matthew White (Aus) Vini Caldirola                       0.57
  85. Eduardo Hernandez Bailo (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         0.57
  86. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank                             0.57
  87. Jay Sweet (Aus) Big Mat-Auber 93                         0.58
  88. Carlos Dacruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                     0.59
  89. Glenn Magnusson (Swe) US Postal Service                  1.00
  90. Laurent Roux (Fra) Casino                                1.01
  91. Jason Livingston (USA) US Postal Service                 1.01
  92. Eros Poli (Ita) Crédit Agricole                          1.01
  93. Christophe Rinero (Fra) Cofidis                          1.01
  94. Rolf Huser (Swi) Festina                                 1.01
  95. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis                              1.02
  96. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale                 1.02
  97. Claude Lamour (Fra) Cofidis                              1.02
  98. Alexander Moos (Swi) Festina                             1.02
  99. Harald Morscher (Aut) Saeco-Cannondale                   1.03
 100. Chann McRae    (USA) Mapei-Quick Step                    1.03
 101. Aïtor Gonzalez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca                  1.03
 102. Mauro Zanetti (Ita) Vini Caldirola                       1.04
 103. Guido Trentin (Ita) Vini Caldirola                       1.05
 104. Valentino China (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale                   1.06
 105. Christophe Cappelle (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93               1.06
 106. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Cantina Tollo                    1.06
 107. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino                        1.06
 108. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                  1.06
 109. Dominique Rault (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                   1.07
 110. Oscar Cavagnis (Ita) Cantina Tollo                       1.09
 111. Fabien Dewaele (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar                      1.10
 112. José Javier Gomez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca               1.11
 113. Yvan Haymoz (Swi) Post Swiss Team                        1.11
 114. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step                       1.12
 115. Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Post Swiss Team                 1.13
 116. Igor Pugaci (Mda) Saeco-Cannondale                       1.14
 117. Christian Charriere (Swi) Post Swiss Team                1.15
 118. Frederic Vifian (Swi) Post Swiss Team                    1.15
 119. Mario Traversoni (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale                  1.16
 120. Ruggero Borghi (Ita) Vini Caldirola                      1.16
 121. Guido Trenti (USA) Cantina Tollo                         1.18
 122. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Cofidis                              1.19
 123. Massimo Giunti (Ita) Cantina Tollo                       1.28
 124. Cédric Fragnière (Swi) Post Swiss Team                   1.30
 125. Daniel Atienza Urendeze (Spa) Polti                      1.36
 126. Massimiliano Gentili (Ita) Cantina Tollo                 1.40
 127. Andrea Brognara (Ita) Cantina Tollo                      1.48
 128. Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Cantina Tollo                      2.04

Started: 128
Finished: 128