|
|
RACE REPORTS: PARIS-NICE STAGE THREE: SAGAN SHOWS HIS STRENGTH
Road Bike Action & AFP
March 10, 2010
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Slovakian youngster Peter Sagan of the Liquigas team won the shortened third stage of Paris-Nice in central France on Wednesday. Germany's Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) assumed the overall leader's yellow jersey after finishing fourth in the 153-kilometer ride, which had been cut by 50-kilometers due to snow.
"I hesitated at the end between wanting to pull clear of the peloton and really trying to win the stage," said Voigt. "It was a difficult decision to make. In the end I found myself poorly placed with 500 meters to go and I came fourth. But it's enough to take the yellow jersey and I'm very happy with that."
Sagan, 20, was one of the revelations of Sunday's prologue, where he finished fifth, and beat Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez and Ireland's Nicolas Roche to the line in a sprint finish here. The trio led home a small group of riders that broke away less than 3-kilometers from the finish. Spain's Alberto Contador, the reigning Tour de France champion, finished in this six-man group, which also featured Voigt and his countryman Tony Martin.
Contador climbed to seventh place in the overall standings, 20 seconds behind Voigt, while overnight leader Lars Boom of the Netherlands slipped down the classification after being left behind on the final climb. Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez, meanwhile, was unable to keep pace with Contador when he accelerated in response to an attack from Roche.
The race start, initially set to take place in Saint-Junien, was moved to Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche after heavy snowfall in the region overnight. Thursday's fourth stage, a 173.5km ride from Maurs to Mende, concludes with the only hill finish of the race.
Paris-Nice Stage 3: Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche - Aurillac 153km
1. Peter Sagan (Svk/Liquigas-Doimo) 3:44:28
2. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) @ s.t.
3. Nicolas Roche (Irl/AG2R La Mondiale)
4. Jens Voigt (Ger/Saxo Bank) 0:00:02
5. Tony Martin (Ger/HTC- Columbia)
6. Alberto Contador (Spa/Astana)
7. Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita/Lampre) @ .06
8. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra/Cofidis) @ s.t.
9. Xavier Florencio (Spa/Cervélo)
10. Marco Marcato (Ita/Vacansoleil)
Overall Classification After Stage 3
1. Jens Voigt (Ger/Saxo Bank) 12:40:26
2. Peter Sagan (Svk/Liquigas-Doimo) @ .06
3. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa/Caisse d'Epargne) @ .09
4. David Millar (GBr/Garmin-Transitions) @ .12
5. Roman Kreuziger (Cze/Liquigas-Doimo) @ .14
6. Lars Boom (Ned/Rabobank) @ .20
7. Alberto Contador (Spa/Astana) @ s.t.
8. Levi Leipheimer (USA/RadioShack) @ .24
9. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) @ .28
10. Xavier Tondo (Spa/Cervélo) @ s.t.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|