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RACE REPORTS: PARIS-NICE STAGE 1: CONTADOR IN CONTROL
Road Bike Action & AFP
March 8, 2009
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Contador slips into the yellow jersey of race leader
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Spaniard Alberto Contador, riding for the Astana team, won the opening stage in the Paris-Nice, a 9.3km time trial. Contador better the time of British Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins, of the American Garmin team. Contador clocked a winning time of clocked 11min 05sec, with another Spanish rider, Luis Leon Sanchez finishing third.
 Contador weathers the storm to take an impressive victory (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Ironically for an event known as the 'Race to the Sun' this opening stage was held in rain but the 2007 Paris-Nice and Tour de France champion Contador coped well with the slippery conditions to hold off Wiggins by seven seconds. Contador, who is out to assert in this race in the absence of his teammate, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, said he had not expected to land the race honors "It is a surprise for me to win, especially given the specialists out there and given it was a flat course. I am certainly not the world's best time-trialist. I think the explanation today is that I just felt good."
"This will not really change the team's tactics. We will have to stay focused - the most important thing is to have the yellow jersey next Sunday when we roll into Nice," the Spaniard said.
67th Paris-Nice, March 8-15, 2009
Stage 1 Time Trial: 9.3 km
March 8, 2009
1. Alberto Contador (ESP) Astana 9.3 km in 11min 05sec.
2. Bradley Wiggins (GBR) at 7sec
3. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP) at 9sec
4. Tony Martin (GER) at 11sec
5. David Millar (GBR) at 14sec
6. Joost Posthuma (NED) at 18sec
7. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) at 19sec
8. Antonio Colom (ESP) s.t.
9. Vladimir Karpets (RUS) at 21sec
10. Remi Pauriol (FRA) at 22sec
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