67th Paris - Nice - 2.HC

France, March 5 - 12, 2000

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Stage 8 - March 12: Nice - Nice, 160,1 km

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Welcome to the final stage of Paris - Nice. We will follow the final 40 minutes or so of this stage.

It should have been the traditional parade finished with a sprint on the Promenade des Anglais. It's an unwritten law that you don't attack the leader on the finishing stage in a big stage race. But after yesterday's time trail up the Col d'Eze things are different. German Andreas Klöden (Telekom) won the stage and took over the white leader's jersey, but with the slim margin of seven seconds to Laurent Brochard (Jean Delatour) who has worn the jersey for most of the race from Paris. A stage win would give ten seconds bonus, so count on that someone is going to try something. Telekom could allow some minor figures in the race to escape and win to take care of the bonus seconds. Thad would force Jean Delatour's riders to chase and work hard all the day and the prepare Brochard for the sprint. Ha has sprinting abilities and the most specialized sprinter, Jaan Kisripuu (Ag2R) has abandoned the race. But there are other sprinters in the peloton like Italians Fabio Baldato (Fassa Bortolo) and Guillermo Figueras (Mapei), the latter has been very eager to win a stage, the former already has won one.

While we're waiting let's take a look at Andreas Klöden:

He is 24 years old, lives in Berlin, born in Mittweida half ways between Dresden and Karl-Marx-Stadt (nowadays Chemnitz) June 22, 1975. He is a natural TT rider, we could see him sit down almost all of the time yesterday, climbing the Col with elegance and he took the bronze at the U23 World Championships ITT in Lugano in 1996 and was seventh the following year in San Sebastian. He is 184 centimetres tall and weight 65 kilograms, not too much to survive even harder climbs than the Pars - Nice has offered. Other merits: Overall win in the Nidersachsen- Rundfahrt 1998, two stages in the same race the year before and a stage win in Volta ao Algarve last season.

This race is his breakthrough in cycling however, and the inevitable label "The new Ullrich" is of course already put on him, by Jean Delatour's sports director Michel Gros by the way. But of course being only 18 months younger than Ullrich means that he will have a long wait to take over in Telekom if he wants to succeed him by age. And maybe there is time to note that he did a very good short ITT in the beginning, one helluva climb yesterday and tagged along in between. There's still a long way to Champs-Elysées…

At 133 kms, 26 kms to go: Well now we are on. The peloton is rolling past the Promenade des Anglais with Francaise des Jeux setting the pace. We have a little group ahead. Four riders with Christophe Bassons (Jean Delatour) Leon van Bon (Rabobank), Nicola Loda (Fassa Bortolo) and Jacky Durand (Lotto). They have around one minute.

Mapei is also working in the peloton. Neither Mapei nor FDJ has won anything in this race. Mapei is working for Steels who is the most merited sprinter since Jaan Kirsipuu abandoned some days ago.

The four men group is caught in this moment. And there's a new attack. It's Richard Virenque, the climber. This is a show for the fans only… Two laps to go. 12kms.

Nine kilometers to go, three to the penultimate passage of the finishing line when Addy Engels (Rabobank) attacks, neo pro this year, who wants to show off, but he is soon caught. The last lap begins with an assembled peloton.

Baranowski attacks on the final lap but the peloton reacts. Speed is 55 kph. Lots of green CA jerseys suddenly riding for O'Grady.

Aus (Ag2R) tries at 2.4 kms and gets a good gap.

Nope for Aus but the US Posties attacks with a Dane along at the banner. Simon is in good position and here they come: And it is Tom Steels that comes first in the middle of the road on Promenade des Anglais.

No overall changes. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Telekom wins. Brochard takes the points jersey.

Results

1 Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step                             3.53.13 (41.189 km/h)
2 Damien Nazon (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel  
3 George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service  
4 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole  
5 Ruben Galvan (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca  
6 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Deutsche Telekom  
7 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Memory Card-Jack & Jones  
8 Torsten Nitsche (Ger) Saeco-Valli & Valli  
9 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance  
10 Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis 
11 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 
12 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Festina 
13 David Clinger (USA) Festina 
14 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis 
15 Angel Vicioso (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca 
16 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Rabobank 
17 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 
18 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis 
19 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Jean Delatour 
20 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 
21 Anthony Morin (Fra) Crédit Agricole 
22 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 
23 Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis 
24 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis 
25 Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 
26 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 
27 David Navas (Spa) Banesto 
28 Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Ag2R Prevoyance 
29 Rafael Mateos Perez (Spa) Polti 
30 Igor Pugaci (Mda) Saeco-Valli & Valli 
31 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 
32 Jakob Piil (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones 
33 Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 
34 Bobby Julich (USA) Crédit Agricole 
35 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 
36 Dider Rous (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel 
37 Pietro Zucconi (Swi) Vini Caldirola 
38 Martin Rittsel (Swe) Memory Card-Jack & Jones 
39 Stéphane Augé (Fra) Festina 
40 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal Service 
41 Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca 
42 Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance 
43 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 
44 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Banesto 
45 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 
46 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 
47 Bo Hamburger (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones 
48 Eddy Seigneur (Fra) Jean Delatour 
49 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 
50 Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Deutsche Telekom 
51 Aitor Garmendia (Spa) Banesto 
52 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 
53 Udo Bölts (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 
54 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 
60 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Crédit Agricole 
61 Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) Banesto 
62 Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 
63 Kai Hundertmark (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 
64 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 
65 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones 
66 Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto 
67 Kurt Van Lancker (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 
68 Loïc Lamouller (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 
69 Tomasz Brozyna (Pol) Banesto 
70 Richard Virenque (Fra) Polti 
71 Pascal Hervé (Fra) Polti 
72 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 
73 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 
74 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) US Postal Service 
75 Christophe Bassons (Fra) Jean Delatour 
76 Stephan Schreck (Ger) Deutsche Telekom 
77 Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Crédit Agricole 
78 Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Vini Caldirola 
79 Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 
80 Bradley McGee (Aus) Francaise Des Jeux 
81 Marc Lotz (Ned) Rabobank 
82 Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service 
83 Mirko Crepaldi (Ita) Polti 
84 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 
85 Benoit Joachim (Lux) US Postal Service 
86 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Jean Delatour 
87 Anthony Langella (Fra) Crédit Agricole 
88 Charles Guilbert (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel 
89 Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti 
90 Alvaro Forner (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca 
91 Stéphane Bergès (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93 
92 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Vini Caldirola 
93 Ricardo Otxoa (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca 
94 Pascal Lino (Fra) Festina 
95 Stéphane Heulot (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux 
96 Roberto Conti (Ita) Vini Caldirola 
97 José Manuel Uria (Spa) Polti 
98 Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 
99 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 
100 Arturas Kasputis (Lit) Ag2R Prevoyance
101 Axel Merckx (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step
102 Florent Brard (Fra) Festina
103 Franck Renier (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel
104 Daniel Atienza (Spa) Saeco-Valli & Valli
105 Laurent Madouas (Fra) Festina
106 Pascal Deramé (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel
107 Chris Boardman (Gbr) Crédit Agricole
108 Christophe Oriol (Fra) Jean Delatour
109 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux
110 Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca
111 Niki Aebersold (Swi) Rabobank
112 Matthew White (Aus) Vini Caldirola
113 Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step
119 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
120 Magnus Bäckstedt (Swe) Crédit Agricole
121 Lauri Aus (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance                                0.32
122 Nicola Loda (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                                0.35
123 Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank                                     0.47
124 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank
125 Cyril Saugrain (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                        1.30
126 Jacky Durand (Fra) Lotto-Adecco                                2.39
127 Patrick Jonker (Ned) US Postal Service
128 Pablo Lastras (Spa) Banesto
129 Sandro Giacomelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola
130 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco-Valli & Valli
131 Francesco Secchiari (Ita) Saeco-Valli & Valli
132 Benoit Salmon (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
133 Nicolaj Bo Larsen (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones
134 Michael Steen Nielsen (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones
135 Dominique Rault (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93

Final general classification:

1 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Deutsche Telekom                        28.19.50 (41.189 km/h)
2 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Jean Delatour                             0.07
3 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Banesto                                  0.44
4 François Simon (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel                         0.53
5 Javier Pascual Rodriguez (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca              0.56
6 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Crédit Agricole                         1.02
7 Martin Rittsel (Swe) Memory Card-Jack & Jones                    1.15
8 Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal Service                           1.17
9 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo  
10 Tomasz Brozyna (Pol) Banesto                                    1.18
11 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 
12 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Deutsche Telekom                     1.19
13 Aitor Garmendia (Spa) Banesto                                   1.21
14 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                              1.28
15 Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Ag2R Prevoyance                            1.35
16 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal Service                      1.49
17 Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 
18 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                        1.50
19 Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank                                       1.55
20 Gilles Bouvard (Fra) Jean Delatour                              1.58
21 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                               2.08
22 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis                                    2.15
23 Stéphane Heulot (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                        2.16
24 Kai Hundertmark (Ger) Deutsche Telekom                          2.22
25 Steve De Wolf (Bel) Cofidis 
26 Unai Osa (Spa) Banesto                                          2.33
27 Fabrice Gougot (Fra) Crédit Agricole                            2.36
28 George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Service                         2.41
29 Axel Merckx (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step                              2.42
30 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                                3.12
31 Bo Hamburger (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones                     3.13
32 Niki Aebersold (Swi) Rabobank                                   3.16
33 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                               3.34
34 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                              3.51
35 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis                                       4.08
36 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                        4.31
37 Bobby Julich (USA) Crédit Agricole                              4.49
38 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                               4.50
39 Chris Vandevelde (USA) US Postal Service                        5.27
40 Pascal Lino (Fra) Festina                                       6.12
41 Richard Virenque (Fra) Polti                                    6.19
42 Dider Rous (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel                            8.33
43 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Jean Delatour                              9.46
44 Christophe Bassons (Fra) Jean Delatour                         10.12
45 Anthony Morin (Fra) Crédit Agricole                            10.53
46 Kurt Van Lancker (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                            11.03
47 Bradley McGee (Aus) Francaise Des Jeux                         11.35
48 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Deutsche Telekom                            11.58
49 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                        12.58
50 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Vini Caldirola                      15.23
51 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) US Postal Service                         15.55
52 Udo Bölts (Ger) Deutsche Telekom                               16.45
53 Tristan Hoffman (Ned) Memory Card-Jack & Jones                 17.44
54 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                       18.17
55 Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Deutsche Telekom                       20.19
56 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                              21.18
57 Ricardo Otxoa (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca                       21.47
58 Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                            24.45
59 Torsten Nitsche (Ger) Saeco-Valli & Valli                      26.27
60 Addy Engels (Ned) Rabobank                                     26.30
61 Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                        28.11
62 Laurent Madouas (Fra) Festina                                  28.29
63 Pascal Chanteur (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance                          28.34
64 David Navas (Spa) Banesto                                      32.49
65 Dariusz Baranowski (Pol) Banesto                               32.53
66 Marc Lotz (Ned) Rabobank                                       32.57
67 José Manuel Uria (Spa) Polti                                   35.11
68 Jakob Piil (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones                      35.13
69 Mauro Gianetti (Swi) Vini Caldirola                            36.12
70 José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca                   35.56
71 Lylian Lebreton (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93                       37.01
72 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                              37.23
73 Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step                              37.33
74 Pascal Hervé (Fra) Polti                                       37.34
75 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance                          37.56
76 Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis                                 38.26
77 Daniel Atienza (Spa) Saeco-Valli & Valli                       38.33
78 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Memory Card-Jack & Jones                38.46
79 Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti                                      38.56
80 Cyril Saugrain (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                        38.59
81 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                       39.17
82 Nicola Loda (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                                40.10
83 Roberto Conti (Ita) Vini Caldirola                             40.46
84 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Jean Delatour                            41.46
85 Franck Renier (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel                        42.48
86 Charles Guilbert (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel                     43.43
87 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis                                      44.28
88 Benoit Joachim (Lux) US Postal Service                         44.32
89 Javier Gomez Gozalo (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca                 44.51
90 Igor Pugaci (Mda) Saeco-Valli & Valli                          45.16
91 Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank                                    45.18
92 Davide Tani (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                             46.11
93 Loïc Lamouller (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93                        46.32
94 Eddy Seigneur (Fra) Jean Delatour                              47.16
95 Ruben Galvan (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca                        48.11
96 Angel Vicioso (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca                       50.06
97 Rafael Mateos Perez (Spa) Polti                                50.35
98 Stephan Schreck (Ger) Deutsche Telekom                         50.38
99 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Rabobank                                    50.42
100 Thierry Bourguignon (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93                  52.06
101 Stéphane Bergès (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93                      53.03
102 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Deutsche Telekom                           55.03
103 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Crédit Agricole                          55.53
104 Gilles Maignan (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance                          56.13
105 Pascal Deramé (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel                       56.24
106 Pietro Zucconi (Swi) Vini Caldirola                           57.43
107 Arturas Kasputis (Lit) Ag2R Prevoyance                        57.50
108 Christophe Oriol (Fra) Jean Delatour                          58.09
109 Lauri Aus (Est) Ag2R Prevoyance                               58.16
110 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93                        58.47
111 Chris Boardman (Gbr) Crédit Agricole                        1.00.13
112 Bart Leysen (Bel) Mapei-Quick Step                          1.01.58
113 Florent Brard (Fra) Festina                                 1.03.58
114 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour                           1.03.59
115 Anthony Langella (Fra) Crédit Agricole                      1.04.18
116 Alvaro Forner (Spa) Kelme - Costa Blanca
117 Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat - Auber 93                    1.08.14
118 David Clinger (USA) Festina                                 1.08.57
119 Stéphane Augé (Fra) Festina                                 1.09.00
120 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Festina                               1.09.31
121 Jacky Durand (Fra) Lotto-Adecco                             1.11.29
122 Magnus Bäckstedt (Swe) Crédit Agricole                      1.13.26
123 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Francaise Des Jeux                 1.13.27
124 Damien Nazon (Fra) Bonjour - Toupargel                      1.13.30
125 Mirko Crepaldi (Ita) Polti                                  1.17.20
126 Matthew White (Aus) Vini Caldirola                          1.21.09