Paris-Nice (2018) Photos Mar 4 - 11

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One of the race favorites, Lilian CALMEJANE (DIRECT ENERGIE) during the teams presentation before Stage 1 in Chatou	Andre GREIPEL (LOTTO SOUDAL) being a gentleman at the rainy Stage 1 start	Dropping the flag on Stage 1 in Chatou
	The break with Pierre Luc PERICHON (TEAM FORTUNEO - SAMSIC); Pierre ROLLAND (EF EDUCATION FIRST - DRAPAC) and Jurgen ROELANDTS (BMC RACING TEAM)	The hilly part of the course
The break gives up	Uphill cobbled sprint in Meudon	Too close to call...
The photo finish shows Arnaud DEMARE (FRA/FDJ) barely beats Gorka IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA) with 3rd Christophe LAPORTE (FRA/COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS) less than a half wheel back		Arnaud DEMARE (GROUPAMA - FDJ) finds out he's won
Your Stage 1 winner and first race leader, Arnaud DEMARE (GROUPAMA - FDJ)

Stage 2:  Orsonville → Vierzon, 187 km  Full Results and Report

Stage 2 start scene in Orsonville	The peloton weaving along the flat Stage 2 course
	The break, Manuele BOARO (BAHRAIN - MERIDA) and Tiago MACHADO (TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN)	Sprint finish in Vierzon won by Dylan GROENEWEGEN (NED/LOTTO NL - JUMBO) in 4:51:31 ahead of 2nd Elia VIVIANI (ITA/QUICK - STEP FLOORS), 3rd André GREIPEL (GER/LOTTO SOUDAL), 4th Phil BAUHAUS (GER/SUNWEB), 5th Arnaud DEMARE (FRA/FDJ)
Another early season win by Dylan GROENEWEGEN (NED/LOTTO NL - JUMBO) against the top sprinters	Your Stage 2 winner, Dylan GROENEWEGEN (NED/LOTTO NL - JUMBO)	5th today, Arnaud DEMARE (FRA/FDJ) extended his overall lead to 7s

Stage 3:  Bourges → Châtel-Guyon, 210 km  Full Results and Report

French cycling greats Thomas VOECKLER and Bernard HINAULT	Rolling out from Bourges for Stage 3	The peloton taking up lanes in both directions
		Early break with Jay Robert THOMSON (RSA/ Dimension Data) and Przemyslaw KASPERKIEWICZ (POL/Delko Marseille)
	First in a series of dramatic sky shots
	The winning break with Jonathan HIVERT (DIRECT ENERGIE), Luis SANCHEZ (ASTANA PRO TEAM) and Remy DI GREGORIO ( DELKO MARSEILLE PROVENCE KTM)
	After saving himself in the final kms, Jonathan HIVERT (FRA/DIRECT ENERGIE) sprinted for the Stage 3 win ahead of 2nd Luis León SANCHEZ (ESP/ASTANA) + 1s, 3rd Remy DI GREGORIO (FRA/DELKO MARSEILLE PROVENCE KTM) who attempted several late breaks	4th Arnaud DEMARE (FRA/FDJ) + 38s, 5th Mike TEUNISSEN (NED/SUNWEB), 6th André GREIPEL (GER/LOTTO SOUDAL)
Your Stage 3 winner, Jonathan HIVERT (FRA/DIRECT ENERGIE)	2nd Luis León SANCHEZ (ESP/ASTANA) today and new race leader

Stage 4:  La Fouillouse → Saint-Étiennen, 18.4 km  Full Results and Report

1st Wout POELS (NED/SKY) 18.4 km in 25:33	2nd Marc SOLER (ESP/MOVISTAR) + 11s	2nd Marc SOLER (ESP/MOVISTAR) + 11s and the best young rider
3rd Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/QUICK - STEP FLOORS) + 16s	4th Felix GROSSSCHARTNER (AUT/BORA - HANSGROHE) + 20s	Finishing in the same time as his brother Ion, 6th Gorka IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA) + 27s
Race leader, Luis León SANCHEZ (ESP/ASTANA) 7th + 28s	8th Tim WELLENS (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL) + 29s	15th Dylan TEUNS (BMC RACING) + 45s
20th Jarlinson PANTANO GOMEZ (TREK - SEGAFREDO) + 1:03	Astana rider	He may be the Luxembourg National TT champ, but Jean-Pierre DRUCKER (BMC) was 63rd over 2 minutes back
Your Stage 4 winner, Wout POELS (NED/SKY) 18.4 km in 25:33	Race leader, Luis León SANCHEZ (ESP/ASTANA) 7th + 28s today and now leading today's stage winner by 15s

Stage 5:  Salon-de-Provence → Sisteron, 164 km  Full Results and Report

Previously race leader and now points leader, Arnaud DEMARE (FRA/FDJ) rolling into Salon-de-Provence for Stage 5	Race leader, Luis León SANCHEZ (ESP/ASTANA) will have to his eyes on best young rider, Marc SOLER (ESP/MOVISTAR) for the rest of the week	The climbing was front loaded on this stage
Astana protecting their race leader, Luis León SANCHEZ (ESP/ASTANA)
The break
One of many crashes on the twisting roads		Bad time for a mechanical for Jacopo GUARNIERI (ITA/FDJ)
The last two riders, Nils POLITT (GER/KATUSHA ALPECIN) trying to drop wheelsucker Jerome COUSIN (FRA/DIRECT ENERGIE) who at one point applied his brakes so he woudn't have to do any work in the final kms	Another crash near the finish	The ruthless tactics payoff as Jerome COUSIN (FRA/DIRECT ENERGIE) sprints past Nils POLITT (GER/KATUSHA ALPECIN) who did most of the work in the final kms to hold off the peloton
Often 2nd or 3rd in his career, Jerome COUSIN (DIRECT ENERGIE) has found, by his own admission, the only way he knows how to win	Bert VAN LERBERGHE (BEL/Cofidis)... one of many who left some skin on the twisty Provence roads	Not a popular winner, but nonetheless your Stage 5 winner, Jerome COUSIN (DIRECT ENERGIE) who won't be wanted in future breaks

Stage 6:  Sisteron → Vence, 188 km  Full Results and Report

Arnaud Demare and Thomas Voeckler		The picturesque rollout from Sisteron
	Astana protecting their race leader, Luis León SANCHEZ whose lead went up to 22s due to the abandonment of Wout Poels
Thomas de Gendt leading the break		Tim Wellens attacks on the second last climb
2nd on GC Wout POELS (NED/SKY) crashed out of the race with 6 km to go with a broken collarbone	Checking the gap on the solo win in Vence	Successful attack on the final climb by Rudy MOLARD (FRA/FDJ) for the biggest win of his career
	2nd Tim WELLENS (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL) + 2s, 3rd Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/QUICK - STEP FLOORS), 4th Luis León SANCHEZ (ESP/ASTANA)	Your Stage 6 winner, Rudy MOLARD (FRA/FDJ)

Stage 7:  Nice → Valdeblore La Colmiane, 175 km  Full Results and Report

Rollout from Nice	Early break
		The break
Break
Astana riding for race leader, Luis León SANCHEZ (ASTANA) who suffered in the cold, wet mountainous conditions finishing 26th + 4:22
	Roman KREUZIGER at the front for MITCHELTON - SCOTT. He finished 17th + 1:36	Attack with 4 km to go by Simon YATES (GBR/MITCHELTON - SCOTT) drew out Ion IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA)
Simon YATES (GBR/MITCHELTON - SCOTT) and Ion IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA)	Simon YATES (GBR/MITCHELTON - SCOTT) solos the final km
2nd Dylan TEUNS (BEL/BMC RACING) + 8s and 3rd Ion IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA)	4th Gorka IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA) + 13s and 5th Tim WELLENS (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL)	Last year's overall winner, 7th Sergio Luis HENAO MONTOYA (COL/SKY) + 46s and 8th Marc SOLER (ESP/MOVISTAR)
10th Sam OOMEN (NED/SUNWEB) + 54s	Wrecked	17th Julian ALAPHILIPPE (QUICK - STEP FLOORS) + 2:01 and out of the GC hunt
Your Stage 7 winner and new race leader, Simon YATES (GBR/MITCHELTON - SCOTT)	In the breaks all week it seems, the KOM leader, Thomas de GENDT (LOTTO SOUDAL)

Stage 8:  Nice → Nice, 110 km  Full Results and Report

Pouring rain and high winds that didn't let up on the Promenade des Anglais Stage 8 rollout
Jakob FUGLSANG (ASTANA) and Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/QUICK - STEP FLOORS) leading the early break followed by Omar FRAILE MATARRANZ (ESP/ASTANA)	Omar FRAILE (ESP/ASTANA) and Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/QUICK - STEP FLOORS)	David DE LA CRUZ (TEAM SKY) and Marc SOLER (MOVISTAR TEAM) bridging up
Race leader Simon Yates	Marc SOLER (MOVISTAR TEAM) and Omar FRAILE (ESP/ASTANA) at the front	Ion IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA) leading the next group
David DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO (ESP/SKY) wins the bike throw finish against Omar FRAILE MATARRANZ (ESP/ASTANA) back in Nice	In the background is 3rd Marc SOLER (ESP/MOVISTAR) + 3s and capturing the third place bonus seconds
6th Simon YATES (GBR/MITCHELTON - SCOTT) + 38s, just a few seconds short of what he needed to win the overall	The overall winner was also the best young rider, Marc SOLER (ESP/MOVISTAR)
Your 2018 Overall podium: 2nd Simon YATES (GBR/MITCHELTON - SCOTT) + 4s, 1st Marc SOLER (ESP/MOVISTAR) 30:22:41, 3rd Gorka IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI (ESP/BAHRAIN - MERIDA) + 14s		Jersey winners