Paris-Nice 1996

Stages 4 to End

Stage 4 Maurs-la-Jolie - Millau (Causse Noir) 163 km:

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once          5.16.08  (31,695 km/h)
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola        + 0.15
 3. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina        + 0.22
 4. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once               + 0.26
 5. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei      + 0.36
 6. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola               s.t.
 7. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola           s.t.
 8. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti                  s.t.
 9. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan              + 0.49
10. Mariano Rojas (Spa) Once              + 0.51
11. Andrea Peron (It, Motorola)           + 0.55
12. Andrei Tchmil (Rus, Lotto) 		  + 1.02
13. Rolf Jaermann (Swi, MG-Technogym) 	  + 1.06
14. Odriozola (Sp, Gewiss) 		  + 1.15
15. Marco Saligari (It, MG-Technogym) 	  + 1.26
16. Gilles Bouvard (Fr, Collstrop) 	  + 1.27
17. Goubert (Fr, Festina)
18. Stephane Heulot (Fr, GAN)
19. Didier Rous (Fr, GAN)
20. Laurent Dufaux (Swi, Festina)
21. Francesco Cabello (Sp, Kelme-Artiach)  all s.t.
22. Brian Holm (Den, Telekom) 		  + 1.48
23. Stefano Della Santa (It, Mapei-GB)    + 2.16
24. Carlo Bomans (Bel, Mapei-GB)
25. Aitor Garmendia (Sp, ONCE)
26. Cedric Vasseur (Fr, GAN)
27. Richard Virenque (Fr, Festina)
28. Mauro Gianetti (Swi, Team Polti)
29. Bruno Boscardin (It, Festina)
30. Roberto Petito (It, Saeco)  	  all s.t.

(139 starters, 139 finishers)

Overall:

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once         17.37.19
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola        + 0.35
 3. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti               + 0.50
 4. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan              + 1.09
 5. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei      + 1.09
 6. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina        + 1.20
 7. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once               + 1.25
 8. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola        + 1.35
 9. Laurent Dufaux (Sch) Festina          + 1.49
10. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola           + 1.50
11. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto             + 1.58
12. Stephane Heulot (Fra) Gan             + 2.26
13. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Festina        + 2.39
14. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym       + 2.44
15. Marco Saligari (Ita) MG-Technogym     + 2.50
16. Axel Merckx (Bel, Motorola) 	  + 2.58
17. Francesco Cabello (Sp, Kelme-Artiach) + 3.05
18. Mariano  Rojas (Sp, ONCE) 		  + 3.13
19. Brian Holm (Den, Telekom) 		  + 3.16
20. Didier Rous (Fr, GAN) 		  + 3.36
21. Carlo Bomans (Bel, Mapei-GB) 	  + 3.44
22. Roberto Petito (It, Saeco) 		  + 4.17
23. Max Sciandri (GB, Motorola) 	  + 4.26
24. Gilles Bouvard (Fr, Collstrop) 	  + 4.36
25. Aitor Garmendia (Sp, ONCE) 		  + 4.58
26. Richard Virenque (Fr, Festina) 	  + 5.27
27. Bruno Boscardin (It, Festina) 	  + 5.42
28. Odriozola (Sp, Gewiss-Playbus) 	  +10.41
29. Abraham Olano (Sp, Mapei-GB) 	  +11.15
30. Stefano Della Santa (It, Mapei-GB)    +11.42

Points: 1. Laurent Jalabert

Best climber : 1. Laurent Brochard 20; 2. Jalabert 17; 3. Armstrong 12

Teams: 1. Motorola

Stage 4 Notes:

A brisk cold headwind blew throughout the stage across the bleak plateau of the Massif Central piling up snowdrifts. For the fourth day running, though, an early break was sustained for much of the stage. Frank Hoj (Den, Collstrop) took off at km17 and held out for 97km, building up a maximum lead of 11.30 at km54. When Hoj was caught at km115, French neo-pro Christophe Agnolutto (Casino) counter-attacked.

He was joined by the Italian Maurizio Molinari (MG) and Dane Lars Michaelsen (Festina) but the breaks maximum lead was 30 seconds. They were brought back by the combined efforts of ONCE and Motorola just before Millau and the final stiff climb to the Causse Noir (7.6km at an average 6.3%). With 5km to go, the peloton was stretched out by an attack from Mariano Rojas (Sp, ONCE) and 15 riders went off the front to join him (Jalabert, Armstrong, Merckx, Peron, Cuesta, Boardman, Madouas, Leblanc, Tchmil, Brochard, Vandenbroucke, Odriozola, Jaermann, Heulot and Rojas).

With 3km to go Jalabert attacked. Armstrong and Brochard trid to get on his wheel but only Armstrong was able to do so. At 600m to the line Jalabert attacked again, shaking Armstrong off....

Stage 5 Millau--Millau, March 14

 1. Stefano Casagrande (Italy, MG Technogym)  4.02.49     (10 secs bonif)
 2. Laurent Jalabert (France, ONCE)              + 27 secs (6 secs bonif)
 3. Frederic Moncassin (France, GAN)                       (4 secs bonif)
 4. Carlo Bomans (Belgium, Mapei)
 5. Bruno Boscardin (Italy, Festina)
 6. Laurent Brochard (France, Festina)
 7. Andrei Tchmil (Ukraine, Lotto)
 8. Jon Odriozola (Italy, Gewiss)
 9. Lance Armstrong (U.S., Motorola)
10. Cedric Vasseur (France, GAN)              all s.t.
11. Mariano Rojas (Spa) Once
12. Marco Saligari (Ita) MG-Technogym
13. Thomas Fleischer (Ger) Lotto
14. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola
15. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan
16. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti
17. Alberto Leanizbarrutia (Spa) Once
18. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym
19. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei-GB
20. Maurizio Molinari (Ita) MG-Technogym
23. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Festina
25. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola
28. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola
30. Erwan Mentheour (Fra) Aki
31. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei-GB               
32. Patrick Jonker (Australia, ONCE)
33. Didier Rous (Fr, GAN)
34. Michel Lafis (Swe, Telekom)
35. Mario Cipollini (It, Saeco)   	       all s.t.
36 Lars Michaelsen  			         + 1.18
(138 starters, 135 finishers)
 
d.n.s: Heulot; abandons: Saugrain, Delion, Verdonck
 
Intermediate bonifications (seconds):

Bozzi 5 (3+2)
Casagranda 3
L. Jalabert 2 (1+1)
Hincapie 2

Overall:

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once                 21.40.27
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola               + 0.43
 3. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti                      + 1.06
 4. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan                     + 1.17
 5. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei             + 1.17
 6. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina               + 1.28
 7. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                      + 1.33
 8. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola               + 1.43
 9. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola                  + 1.58
10. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto                    + 2.06
11. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Festina               + 2.47
12. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym              + 2.52
13. Marco Saligari (Ita) MG-Technogym            + 2.58
14. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola                   + 3.06
15. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme                + 3.13
16. Mariano Rojas (Spa) Once                     + 3.21
17. Didier Rous (Fra) Gan                        + 3.44
18. Carlo Bomans (Bel) Mapei-GB                  + 3.52
19. Brian Holm (Den)                             + 4,15
20. Maximilan Sciandri (Eng)                     + 4.34
21. Garmendia 					 + 5.06
22. Virenque 					 + 6.26
23. Boscardin 					 + 6.30
24. Odriozola 					 +10.49
25. Olano 					 +11.23
26. Vasseur 					 +11.50
27. Fleischer 					 +12.07
28. Sierra 					 +12.14
29. Moncassin 					 +12.23
30. Lafis 					 +12.29

Points: 

1. L. Jalabert 89
2. Moncassin 53
3. Armstrong 48

Best climber: 1. Brochard 27; L. Jalabert 17; Armstrong 12

Teams: 1. Motorola

Stage 5 Notes

After a couple of sunny days, the weather reverted to proper "Race To The Sun" conditions -- cold winds, icy rain and even some snow. "What should have been the easiest stage of the race suddenly turned out to be the most dangerous," said Laurent Jalabert. "It was four hours of real chanciness." It wasnt just the slipperiness of the road, the freezing cold was also enervating. "At one point I wanted to put on a second rain jacket," said Chris Boardman. "I had to stop because I couldnt bend my arms,they were so cold."

The first few kilometres of the race were very fast, with various attacks -- from Audhem (Telekom), Vasseur (GAN), Colombini (MG) and Laurent (Agrigel). At 9km, one succeeded when Dominique Bozzi (ForceSud) got away. The Worlds 100km team trial silver medallist had a 50 second lead at km16 and it reached 3.55 at km33. Stefano Casagranda took off after him at km54, when Bozzis lead as reaching its maximum -- 8 minutes. Told by his directeur-sportif that an Italian was on his tail, Bozzi said: "As for me, I'm a Corsican, I do'ton't fear anyone." Casa

Casagranda caught Bozzi at km93 and dropped him on the cote de Saint-Affrique at km115. Bozzi went backwards through the peloton to finish 116th 16.03 down. When Casagranda took off on his own the peloton was at 5.40. At km140 a crash about 50 riders down the peloton split it. This left 27 riders in the first group (including Jalabert, Armstrong, Boardman and Vandenbroucke).

General classification high-ups Leblanc, Brochard and Dufaux were caught up in the crash -- Leblanc and Brochard were able to make it up to the lead group, but Dufaux's chances of a top classification were dashed, when he lost more than 11 minutes. Casagranda, a pro only since the beginning of the season took the stage with 27 seconds to spare.

CORRECTION: Roger writes - My fault for assiduously correcting something that wasn't wrong. For Stefano Casagrande, read Stefano Casagranda. (Casagranda is not one of the Casagrande brothers -- Filippo, Francesco and Stefano).

Stage 6 Vitrolles - Saint-Tropez 199,5 km:

 1. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto           	5.27.20
 2. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan
 3. Maximilian Sciandri (Eng) Motorola  
 4. Laurent Brochard (Fr, Festina)
 5. Laurent Jalabert (Fr, ONCE)
 6. Lance Armstrong (USA, Motorola)
 7. Rolf Jaermann (Swi, MG)
 8. Stephane Goubert (Fr, Festina)
 9. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel, Mapei)
10. Luc Leblanc (Fr, Polti) 	       
11. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme
12. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola
13. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once
14. Didier Rous (Fra) Gan
15. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola              all s.t.

Overall:

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once                 27.07.43
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola               + 0.47
 3. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti                      + 1.10
 4. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan                     + 1.15
 5. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei             + 1.19
 6. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina               + 1.32
 7. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                      + 1.37
 8. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola               + 1.47
 9. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto                    + 2.00
10. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola                  + 2.45
11. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Festina               + 2.51
12. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym              + 2.56
13. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola                   + 3.10
14. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme                + 3.17
15. Mariano Rojas (Spa) Once                     + 3.25

Stage 6 Notes

The drama of the day came when Laurent Jalabert crashed on a descent at 120km. Jalabert grazed his face and leg but got back onto the bunch without too much difficulty -- he says it did the gentlemanly thing and slowed for him. Meanwhile, he had picked up a useful 4 seconds in intermediate time bonuses. Tchmil went past a hard-sprinting Boardman 100m from the line.

Stage 7 Saint-Tropez - Antibes 191 km:

 1. Bruno Boscardin (Italy, Festina)  193.7km in 5.11.52
 2. Tom Steels (Belgium, Mapei)
 3. Wilfried Nelissen (Belgium, Lotto)
 4. Mario Cipollini (Italy, Saeco)
 5. Frederic Moncassin (France, GAN)
 6. Christophe Capelle (France, Forcesud)
 7. Nicolas Jalabert (France, La Mutuelle de Seine et Marne)
 8. Nicola Loda (Italy, MG)
 9. Emmanuel Magnien (France, Festina)
10. Brian Holm (Denmark, Telekom)       all same time

Abandons: Talmant (Fra), Laurent (Fra), Colotti (Fra), Simon (Fra),
Michaelsen (Den), Mazzolini (Ita), Martinello (Ita), Colombini (Ita),
Kirsipuu (Est), Lesniewski (Pol), Bolts (Ger).

Overall:

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once                32.19.34
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola               + 0.48
 3. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti                      + 1.11
 4. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan                     + 1.16
 5. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei-GB          + 1.17
 6. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina               + 1.33
 7. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                      + 1.38
 8. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola               + 1.48
 9. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto                    + 2.01
10. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola                  + 2.46
11. Stephane Goubert (Fra) Festina               + 2.52
12. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym              + 2.57
13. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola                   + 3.11
14. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme                + 3.18
15. Mariano Rojas (Spa) Once                     + 3.26
16. Marco Saligari (Ita) MG-Technogym            + 3.46
17. Didier Rous (Fra) Gan                        + 4.09
18. Maximilian Sciandri (Eng) Motorola           + 4.32
19. Carlo Bomans (Bel) Mapei-GB                  + 4.40
20. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom                     + 5.03

Stage 8a - Nice-Nice March 17

Max Sciandri (GB, Motorola) won the first part of stage 8 of Paris-Nice over 71.5km around Nice. Sciandri was fastest of a three-man break, second was Jon Odriozola (Sp, Gewiss) and third Mauro Gianetti (Swi, Polti). The peloton was lead in at 7 seconds by Tom Steels (Bel, Mapei).

The race finishes this afternoon with a 19,9km time trial from Antibes to Nice. After this morning's stage Laurent Jalabert still leads Lance Armstrong by 48 secs, Luc Leblanc by 1.11 and Chris Boardman by 1.16.

Stage 8a Nice - Nice 71,5 km:

 1. Maximilian Sciandri (Eng) Motorola         1.46.48  (40,281 km/h)
 2. Jon Odriozola (Spa) Gewiss
 3. Mauro Gianetti (Sch) Polti                 all s.t.
 4. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-GB                    + 0.07
 5. Fredric Moncassin (Fra) Gan
 6. Maurizio Molinari (Ita) MG-Technogym
 7. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Saeco
 8. Giuseppe Calcaterra (Ita) Saeco
 9. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Aubervilliers '93
10. Bruno Boscardin (Ita) Festina
11. Andrea Brognara (Ita) Gewiss
12. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Festina
13. Nicola Loda (Ita) MG-Technogym
14. Erwan Mentheour (Fra) Aki
15. Wilfried Nelissen (Bel) Lotto
16. Davide Perona (Ita) Gewiss
17. Jean-Philippe Dojwa (Fra) Aki
18. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina
19. Francisque Teyssier (Fra) Aubervilliers
20. Dominique Arnould (Fra) Forcesud            all s.t

Overall

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once                34.06.29
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola               + 0.48
 3. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti                      + 1.11
 4. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan                     + 1.16
 5. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei-GB          + 1.17
 6. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina               + 1.33
 7. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                      + 1.38
 8. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola               + 1.48
 9. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto                    + 2.01
10. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola                  + 2.46

Stage 8b Antibes - Nice-Antibes - 19,9 km ITT:

 1. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan                      21.16  (56,139 km/h)
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola               + 0.24
 3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once                  + 0.29
 4. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina               + 0.32
 5. Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei-GB           + 0.33
 6. Erwan Mentheour (Fra) Aki                    + 0.38
 7. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym              + 1.07
 8. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                      + 1.08
 9. Mariano Rojas (Spa) Once                     + 1.09
10. Stefano Casagranda (Ita) MG-Technogym        + 1.10
11. Bruno Boscardin (Ita) Festina                + 1.10
12. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola                  + 1.14
13. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto                    + 1.16
14. Carlo Bomans (Bel) Mapei-GB                  + 1.18
15. Gianluca Gorini (Ita) Aki                    + 1.20

Final overall:

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Once                34.28.14
 2. Lance Armstrong (USA) Motorola               + 0.43
 3. Chris Boardman (Eng) Gan                     + 0.47
 4. Franck Vandenbroucke (Bel) Mapei-GB          + 1.21
 5. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Festina               + 1.36
 6. Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Once                      + 2.17
 7. Luc Leblanc (Fra) Polti                      + 2.18
 8. Andrej Tchmil (Rus) Lotto                    + 2.48
 9. Laurent Madouas (Fra) Motorola               + 3.17
10. Andrea Peron (Ita) Motorola                  + 3.31
11. Rolf Jarmann (Sch) MG-Technogym              + 3.35
12. Mariano Rojas (Spa) Once                     + 4.06
13. Axel Merckx (Bel) Motorola                   + 4.15
14. Francisco Cabello (Spa) Kelme                + 4.21
15. Marco Saligari (Ita) MG-Technogym            + 4.37
16. Didier Rous (Fra) Gan                        + 5.04
17. Maximilian Sciandri (Eng) Motorola           + 5.20
18. Carlo Bomans (Bel) Mapei-GB                  + 5.29
19. Aitor Garmendia (Spa) Once                   + 6.05
20. Brian Holm (Den) Telekom                     + 6.16