66th Paris-Nice, Hors CategoryFrance, March 7-14, 1999 |
The Stages
Stage 8, Nice - Nice, 157 kms:After the great stage to Valberg yesterday, the last stage placed less demands on the 105 riders still in the race. The parcours took them across the rolling countryside around Nice with the major difficulty being the climb of the Col de Vence. The riders decided, it seemed, to take advantage of the weather and beautiful scenery. The first hour saw an average speed of only 26.2 km/h. At km 31, Virenque, still on a high after yesterday's second place, laid down a brutal attack and only Laurent Roux was able to go with him.The peloton reacted quickly. Vandenbroucke, Boogerd first, then Zberg, Figueras and Botero took up the challenge. All with top positions on GC to protect. After an initial gap of 20 seconds was opened by the pair by km 33 it was down to 8 seconds and soon after the move was over. The peloton passed over the summit of the Col de Vence together (km 36). On the descent a major move was made. Eros Poli, Moos, Gouvenou and Gaumont took a 10 second gap quickly with some very daring descending. But by the 54 kms mark the peloton brought the race back together. A series of attacks went after that but none seemed committed to see it through. Huser then Brognara then Lunghi all tried without success. The teams with the big sprinters were controlling the stage and were thinking now about the arrival on the Promenade des Anglais - for the final sprint. As the peloton arrived back on the coast the riders faced 7 laps of a finishing circuit. A major attack went away with Sironi, Lefevre, and Dominique Rault taking a lead of 10 seconds (at km 108), then 20 seconds (km 110). At the sprint for time bonifications (km 117) VDB came from no-where to win in front of Gaumont, Lefevre and Rault. VDB took a 3 second bonus and secured 4th place on GC. Satisfied with that he dropped back to the peloton. At 122 kms the 4 riders in front (Sironi, Lefevre, Gaumont, and Rault) had a lead of 58 seconds. But the Mapei team (of Steels) was restless and they started to work towards the end. The second time bonification sprint came with Sironi, then Gaumont then Lefevre taking the prizes. The leading group was caught with 10 kms to go. Gontchar tried his hand at the 8 kms to go mark but was quickly nullified. The Mapei-Quick Step team was now demonstrating awesome power on the front of the peloton which was moving quickly to the cheers of a huge crowd. Steels didn't let them down. The Dutch rider Michael Boogerd confirmed his rise in the peloton by taking the overall in this very important race. Rabobank dominated the teams classification. The last Paris-Nice for the century was a victory for the youthful riders. Stage Results
1. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 4.06.41 (38.187 km/h) 2. Harald Morscher (Aut) Saeco-Cannondale 3. Glenn Magnusson (Swe) US Postal Service 4. Jo Planckaert (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 5. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole 6. Olivier Pereaudeau (Fra) Crédit Agricole 7. Henk Vogels (Aus) Crédit Agricole 8. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti 9. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 10. Guido Trenti (USA) Cantina Tollo 11. Christophe Cappelle (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 12. Andrej Hauptmann (Slo) Vini Caldirola 13. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Française des Jeux 14. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 15. Mauro Zinetti (Ita) Polti 16. Fabien Dewaele (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 17. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino 18. Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 19. Rolf Huser (Swi) Festina 20. Claude Lamour (Fra) Cofidis 21. Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Festina 22. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 23. Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Casino 24. Mirko Crepaldi (Ita) Polti 25. Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Cantina Tollo 26. Alexander Moos (Swi) Festina 27. Carlos Dacruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 28. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 29. Matthew White (Aus) Vini Caldirola 30. Daniel Schnider (Swi) Post Swiss Team 31. Markus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 32. Oscar Cavagnis (Ita) Cantina Tollo 33. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 34. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 35. Gert Verheyen (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 36. Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo 37. Jay Sweet (Aus) Big Mat-Auber 93 38. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service 39. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 40. Pascal Lino (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 41. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 42. Sven Montgomery (Swi) Post Swiss Team 43. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) Polti 44. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 45. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Festina 46. Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Post Swiss Team 47. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 48. Frederic Vifian (Swi) Post Swiss Team 49. Laurent Roux (Fra) Casino 50. Ruggero Borghi (Ita) Vini Caldirola 51. Dario Frigo (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 52. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 53. Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 54. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Cofidis 55. Richard Virenque (Fra) Polti 56. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis 57. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 58. Tyler Hamilton (USA) US Postal Service 59. Peter Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 60. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) La Française des Jeux 61. Jens Voigt (Ger) Crédit Agricole 62. Chann McRae (USA) Mapei-Quick Step 63. Daniel Atienza Urendeze (Spa) Polti 64. Axel Merckx (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 65. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis 66. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino 67. Chris Boardman (GB) Crédit Agricole 68. Christian Charriere (Swi) Post Swiss Team 69. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 70. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Française des Jeux 71. Arnaud Pretot (Fra) Cofidis 72. Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) Vini Caldirola 73. Javier Pascual Llorente (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 74. Cédric Fragnière (Swi) Post Swiss Team 75. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 76. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Cantina Tollo 77. Frédéric Finot (Fra) Crédit Agricole 78. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 79. Francisco Leon Mane (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 80. Andrea Brognara (Ita) Cantina Tollo 81. Kevin Livingston (USA) US Postal Service 82. Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis 83. Dominique Rault (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 84. Gianluca Sironi (Ita) Vini Caldirola 85. Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank 86. Guido Trentin (Ita) Vini Caldirola 87. Denis Lunghi (Ita) Polti 88. Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service 89. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Post Swiss Team 90. Benoît Salmon (Fra) Casino 91. Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Festina 92. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) La Française des Jeux 93. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Mapei-Quick Step 94. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Festina 95. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank 96. Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) Mapei-Quick Step 97. Massimo Apollonio (Ita) Vini Caldirola 98. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 0.16 99. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 0.20 100. Eros Poli (Ita) Crédit Agricole 0.24 101. Igor Pugaci (Mda) Saeco-Cannondale 0.34 102. Christopher Horner (USA) La Française des Jeux 1.12 103. Francisco Cabello Luque (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 4.22 Abandoned: José Javier Gomez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Festina Final GC after Stage 8
1. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank 36.04.13 2. Markus Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 0.57 3. Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1.38 4. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Cofidis 2.10 5. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 2.13 6. Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank 2.14 7. Dario Frigo (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 2.30 8. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Festina 2.32 9. Jens Voigt (Ger) Crédit Agricole 2.37 10. Gert Verheyen (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 2.58 11. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 3.22 12. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 3.32 13. Axel Merckx (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 3.35 14. Richard Virenque (Fra) Polti 3.45 15. Stéphane Heulot (Fra) La Française des Jeux 4.41 16. Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis 4.42 17. Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Festina 4.56 18. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) La Française des Jeux 6.11 19. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 6.31 20. Laurent Roux (Fra) Casino 6.48 21. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis 7.23 22. Anthony Morin (Fra) La Française des Jeux 7.59 23. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 8.58 24. Benoît Salmon (Fra) Casino 9.53 25. Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) Mapei-Quick Step 10.08 26. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 12.00 27. Pascal Lino (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 12.04 28. Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Service 12.14 29. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole 12.24 30. Rolf Huser (Swi) Festina 12.31 31. Chann McRae (USA) Mapei-Quick Step 12.33 32. Oscar Cavagnis (Ita) Cantina Tollo 12.39 33. Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Post Swiss Team 12.43 34. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 17.36 35. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service 17.38 36. Guido Trentin (Ita) Vini Caldirola 18.45 37. Peter Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 20.14 38. Ruggero Borghi (Ita) Vini Caldirola 21.59 39. Fabien Dewaele (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 23.46 40. Olivier Pereaudeau (Fra) Crédit Agricole 24.33 41. Lauri Aus (Est) Casino 24.37 42. Dominique Rault (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 25.38 43. Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 25.53 44. Francisco Cabello Luque (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 27.35 45. Sven Montgomery (Swi) Post Swiss Team 28.14 46. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Post Swiss Team 28.46 47. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) Polti 29.46 48. Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis 30.01 49. Daniel Atienza Urendeze (Spa) Polti 30.26 50. Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 30.34 51. Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Casino 33.32 52. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Française des Jeux 33.54 53. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 36.59 54. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 38.16 55. Claude Lamour (Fra) Cofidis 40.04 56. Alexander Moos (Swi) Festina 45.36 57. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Festina 46.24 58. Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) Vini Caldirola 47.15 59. Arnaud Pretot (Fra) Cofidis 47.31 60. Henk Vogels (Aus) Crédit Agricole 47.54 61. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 48.09 62. Christophe Cappelle (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 48.20 63. Denis Lunghi (Ita) Polti 49.28 64. Harald Morscher (Aut) Saeco-Cannondale 51.05 65. Christopher Horner (USA) La Française des Jeux 51.23 66. Massimo Apollonio (Ita) Vini Caldirola 52.42 67. Cédric Fragnière (Swi) Post Swiss Team 52.46 68. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Mapei-Quick Step 53.22 69. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 53.31 70. Andrej Hauptmann (Slo) Vini Caldirola 55.21 71. Jo Planckaert (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 55.53 72. Mauro Zinetti (Ita) Polti 56.02 73. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 56.20 74. Tyler Hamilton (USA) US Postal Service 56.53 75. Guido Trenti (USA) Cantina Tollo 57.26 76. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 57.36 77. Javier Pascual Llorente (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 57.43 78. Daniel Schnider (Swi) Post Swiss Team 57.45 79. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank 57.58 80. Kevin Livingston (USA) US Postal Service 58.10 81. Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo 58.19 82. Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Festina 59.20 83. Christian Charriere (Swi) Post Swiss Team 1.00.02 84. Francisco Leon Mane (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 1.02.04 85. Chris Boardman (GB) Crédit Agricole 1.02.42 86. Gianluca Sironi (Ita) Vini Caldirola 1.07.07 87. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 1.08.08 88. Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step 1.10.01 89. Frédéric Finot (Fra) Crédit Agricole 1.10.05 90. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti 1.10.13 91. Mirko Crepaldi (Ita) Polti 1.10.39 92. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino 1.10.49 93. Jay Sweet (Aus) Big Mat-Auber 93 1.11.02 94. Frederic Vifian (Swi) Post Swiss Team 1.11.05 95. Matthew White (Aus) Vini Caldirola 1.12.12 96. Glenn Magnusson (Swe) US Postal Service 1.15.01 97. Carlos Dacruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 1.17.07 98. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 1.20.18 99. Andrea Brognara (Ita) Cantina Tollo 1.20.53 100. Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Cantina Tollo 1.23.27 101. Eros Poli (Ita) Crédit Agricole 1.25.26 102. Igor Pugaci (Mda) Saeco-Cannondale 1.26.04 103. Oscar Cavagnis (Ita) Cantina Tollo 1.26.20 |