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RACE REPORTS: PARIS-NICE STAGE 3: CHAVANEL TAKES OVER
Road Bike Action & AFP
March 10, 2009
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Sylvain Chavanel leads Paris-Nice after his stage three victory
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Sylvain Chavanel of France won the third stage of the Paris-Nice race here on Tuesday and also grabbed the overall lead from Spain's Alberto Contador. Chavanel of the Quick Step team, held off Spain's Juan Antonio Flecha and a tilt for glory from the Rabobank team which began with them upping the pace 45km to the line.
Chavanel quickly moved to counter the Rabobank move and managed to hold on as Contador battled in vain to overcome a gap of some 30-seconds which had opened up as he fought to hang on to his overall lead before slipping back to come in 69-seconds adrift of the Frenchman.
 Chavanel celebrates his victory in stage 3 of Paris-Nice (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
"I saw how the guys from Rabobank were grouping together and I was ready for them – I had a good feeling about it. I'm glad to be up there. I know that compared with the best climbers such as Contador in (Friday's) Lure climb, well... I won't say I have no chance but I'm not going to get ahead of myself there," said Chavanel, who described himself as being "in tip top condition." "My morale is sky high," he beamed. "The goal was to win a stage and make an impression in the overall standings so I'm half way there."
The rain beat down on the riders across much of the 178km ride but Chavanel mastered the conditions as the 27-year-old scored his first race win of the season to establish a 32-second lead over Spaniard Juan Manuel Garate. Contador dropped back to over one minute behind Chavanel. Last year the French rider briefly took the yellow jersey at Saint Etienne only to lose it 24 hours later at Mont-Serein on the slopes of the fabled Ventoux.
Wednesday's fourth stage is a 173.5km ride from Vichy to Saint Etienne.
67th Paris-Nice, March 8-15, 2009
Stage 3, Orval to Vichy: 178km
March 10, 2009
1. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/QST) 4hr 33min 12sec
2. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP/RAB) s.t.
3. Sébastian Langeveld (NED/RAB) s.t.
4. Stéphane Augé (FRA/COF) s.t.
5. Kevin Seeldrayers (BEL/QST) s.t.
6. Juan Manuel Garate (ESP/RAB) s.t.
7. Jürgen Roelandts (BEL/SIL) s.t.
8. Marcus Burghardt (GER/THR) s.t.
9. Heinrich Haussler (GER/CTT) s.t.
10. Sébastien Turgot (FRA/BTL) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 3
1. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/QST) 9hr 29min 24sec
2. Juan Manuel Garate (ESP/RAB) at 33sec
3. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP/RAB) at 36sec
4. Kevin Seeldrayers (BEL/QST) at 37sec
5. Jürgen Roelandts (BEL/SIL) at 40sec
6. Alberto Contador (ESP/AST) at 1:03
7. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/GCE) at 1:12
8. Stéphane Augé (FRA/COF) at 1:14
9. David Millar (GBR/GRM) at 1:17
10. Antonio Colom (ESP/KAT) at 1:22
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