Paris - Nice

Paris-Nice
Stage 8:  Nice to Nice, 124km/77mi
By Cathy Mehl
The 69th “Race to the Sun” ended in rain after 8 days of racing in France.  Team RadioShack earned top honors in the Team classification and placed three men in the top ten.   Andreas Klöden, Jani Brajkovic and Levi Leipheimer held positions 2, 7 and 8 behind race winner Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad).  Third place overlla went to Bradley Wiggins (Sky).    French national champion Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) earned his second stage win in this year’s race, arriving solo from a late attack. Leipheimer commented, "They threw every curve at us in Nice but I'd say it was a good week for Team RadioShack."

Check out Graham Watson's photos from Stages 5 & 6 at Paris-Nice.

Paris-Nice
Stage 6:  Rognes to Aix-en-Provence, ITT, 27km/16.8mi
By Cathy Mehl

Rolling out of the start house last and wearing the yellow jersey, Team RadioShack’s Andreas Klöden put in a strong ride in the individual time trial of Paris-Nice on Friday, but the big effort from the German rider wasn’t enough to hold the race lead.  Fellow countryman and specialist Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) stormed the course, taking the win by a full 20-seconds over Bradley Wiggins (Sky) and 29-seconds ahead of Richie Porte (Saxo Bank Sungard).  Klöden took fourth.  Martin took the jersey with two stages to go in The Race to the Sun.  Klöden is 36-seconds behind on the classification with teammates Levi Leipheimer and Jani Brajkovic in 6th and 7th.   The strong performances by The Shack keep the teams classification with Team RadioShack.

Check out Graham Watson's photos from Stage 3 of Paris-Nice.

Paris-Nice
Stage 7: Nice,119km/74mi
By Cathy Mehl
The memories of bad weather earlier in the week faded from the minds of the 97 riders who crossed the finish line in Nice under blue skies and warm sunshine.  A break on the last of three climbs set up a mad chase to the line with Frenchmen Amaël Moinard (Cofidis) and Thomas Voeckler of Bbox Bouygues Telecom able to hold their lead to cross one-two for the stage victory, followed three seconds later by Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne).  But the final podium belonged to the Spanish with Alberto Contador securing his second Pairs-Nice victory by 11-seconds over Valverde and another 14-seconds to Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne). 
The final stage was a strong one for Team RadioShack with Jani Brajkovic putting in a solid attack to chase down the leaders.  Coming up short in the final kilometer, he was joined by teammate Chris Horner who sprinted for 8th with Jani just behind him in 9th.  Brajkovic was the best-placed team rider with 12th-place overall. 

Paris-Nice
Stage 6: Peynier to Tourrettes-sur-Loup, 220km/137mi
By Cathy Mehl
 

Riding in the day-long break, Xavier Tondo of the Cervélo Test Team seized the opportunity to ride away from his group with 34km to go.  As the main field picked up riders from the 23-man group, the Spanish rider ramped up his speed and never looked back from his solo vantage point,  claiming a victory he termed ‘incredible” in Tourrettes-sur-Loup.   Sprinting in for second and third at five seconds behind were Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) and Peter Sagan of Liquigas.  Valverde’s second-place earned him a time bonus that moved him within 14-seconds of race leader Alberto Contador (Astana), but with only one short stage to go the win looks all but in the bag for the two-time Tour de France winner.
Team riders Levi Leipheimer and Tiago Machado both made the large break and cooperated with the big effort made to stay away, but were eventually caught by the main field on the final climb. The Shack’s best-placed rider remains Jani Brajkovic in 17th on General Classification.

Paris-Nice
Stage 5:  Pernes-les-Fontaines to Aix-en-Provence, 157km/98mi
By Cathy Mehl

The young upstart Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo) wasted no time in securing his second win in three days, riding away from the peloton with less than three kilometers to go for a solo victory in Aix-en-Provence.  The 20-year old Slovakian neo-pro has clearly made Paris-Nice his coming out party and looks poised to have a successful first season in the pro ranks.   Chasing after him for second and third places were Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre) and Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne).  Astana’s Alberto Contador held the yellow jersey for a second day and retained the race lead. The best-placed Team RadioShack riders were Geoffroy Lequatre and Jani Brajkovic at 25-seconds off the winning time.  Levi Leipheimer came in at more than two-mintues down.

After the stage Team Director Alain Gallopin explained the situation for Levi: “We were well represented in the front with four riders when the Ag2R team attacked.  At that moment Levi had to get off his bike due to a mechanical problem.  He rode into a hole in the road and his chain dropped so he had to stop and put it on again.  The race was riding away at that exact moment so it’s over and out of course.  You cannot come back at that point.  We were present but we were not compensated.”

Paris-Nice
Stage 4:  Maurs to Mende, 208km/129mi
By Cathy Mehl


The Spanish invaded southern France on Thursday, winning the first four places on the stage and taking over the race lead as well in the 4th stage of Paris-Nice.  Astana’s Alberto Contador rode away from the pack with a powerful acceleration on the final climb making the road seem almost flat as he pedaled to the top.  Chasing with all their might were Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) but Contador never faltered and easily took the victory and claimed the yellow jersey with three stages to go.  Former leader Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank) put up a valiant effort to reach the leaders but lost 44-seconds on the stage and slipped to 6th on General Classification. 
The best-placed Team RadioShack rider was Tiago Machado at 1:01 off the pace.  He was followed by Levi Leipheimer at 1:23 and Jani Brajkovic another 10-seconds back.  It was a difficult day for the team riders and they dropped out of true contention for the overall.  Levi remains the best-placed rider in sixteenth place.

 
Paris-Nice
Stage 3: St. Yriex to Aurillac, 155km/96mi
By Cathy Mehl
A youngster took the stage win while a veteran rider grabbed the race lead in Stage 3 of Paris-Nice.  Twenty-year-old Slovakian Peter Sagan of Liquigas managed to join a late attack and rolled across the line first, pounding his fist to his chest and screaming loudly in celebration.  Jen Voigt (Team Saxo Bank) rolled in for fourth place with the breakaway group and the gap behind him ensured the race lead for the popular 38-year-old German rider.  With four stages to go Voigt holds six seconds to Sagan and nine to Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne).
The Shack’s Levi Leipheimer retained his 8th place on the general classification and the team holds 2nd place for the Teams classification.

Paris-Nice
Stage 2: Contres to Limoges, 201.5km/125mi
By Cathy Mehl
 
Another crash occurred at 500m before the finish line in Limoges for Stage 2 of Paris-Nice, but this one was less dramatic than yesterday’s chaos on the bike and only a few riders hit the deck, with Team RadioShack riders all ok. Meanwhile the group sprint went on with William Bonnet (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) able to take the win with a bike throw ahead of Peter Sagan (Liquigas) and Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne).  Rabobank’s Lars Boom retained the race lead for a third day followed by Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank) but Sanchez’s third place on the stage gave him a time bonus to move into third on general classification.  Levi Leipheimer remains in 8th-place on GC at 25-seconds off Boom’s lead.