In similar weather conditions to what riders in Britain raced in yesterday, Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins raced his way through the rain to finish a close second to Gustav Larsson (Vacansoleil) in the opening time trial of Paris-Nice.
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Wiggins was the third last rider to leave the start house to tackle the 9.4 kilometre course from Dampierre-en-Yvelines to Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse, and unlike early starters, Wiggins was one of those in the final half hour who had the worst of the weather.
Wiggins though gave the target time of 11.19 a good shake, finishing a mere one second shy of the time by Gustav Erik Larsson. The ride puts Wiggins in a strong position overall ahead of a long week of racing in this classic that Sean Kelly made his own a few decades ago.
Wiggins admitted on Team Sky’s website later, “I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. Now it’s about staying safe really. This race is known in the next few days for having a lot of crashes, potentially in the cross-winds. The weather might be a bit dodgy tomorrow too.”
“There’s a lot to contend with but this is the first one out of the way – a tricky little prologue in cold weather with a bit of rain is never easy. I didn’t take any risks in the corners but I knew in a straight line I was flying. I wasn’t willing to find out whether it was slippery so I never really pushed it as hard as I could have done in the corners. I’d already slipped on the ramp coming off the start, so straight away I had one mind on safety in the corners. Fortunately there weren’t so many corners so it wasn’t as decisive.”
A former record holder for the time trial in the Tour de France, Sean Yates was pleased with Wiggins’s ride. “The win was taken away from us by the weather but Brad took a lot of time out of most of his GC rivals. It shows that his physical condition is very good which we knew already but that just confirmed it. On the results today he’s even better than we thought he might be in comparison to the others.”
STAGE 1 TIME TRIAL
1 Gustav Erik Larsson Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:11:19
2 Bradley Wiggins Sky Procycling 00:01
3 Levi Leipheimer Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:04
4 Tejay Van Garderen BMC Racing Team 00:09
5 Thomas De Gendt Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:12
6 Sylvain Chavanel Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
7 Rein Taaramäe Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne 00:13
8 Markel Irizar Aranburu RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
9 R̩mi Pauriol Equipe Cycliste FDJ РBigMat 00:15
10 J̩rome Coppel Saur РSojasun @ same time
11 Tom Boonen Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
12 Jens Voigt RadioShack – Nissan 00:17
13 Patrick Gretsch 1t4i @ same time
14 Thor Hushovd BMC Racing Team @ same time
15 Maxime Monfort RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
16 Richie Porte Sky Procycling @ same time
17 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios Movistar Team 00:18
18 Taylor Phinney BMC Racing Team 00:19
19 Lieuwe Westra Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:20
20 Carlos Barredo Llamazales Rabobank Cycling Team 00:21
21 Gaetan Bille Lotto – Belisol Team 00:22
22 Brent Bookwalter BMC Racing Team 00:23
23 Gianni Meersman Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
24 Maxime Bouet Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
25 J̩r̩my Roy Equipe Cycliste FDJ РBigMat @ same time
26 Simon Gerrans GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
27 Bart De Clercq Lotto – Belisol Team 00:24
28 Tony Martin Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:25
29 Kevin De Weert Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
30 Bauke Mollema Rabobank Cycling Team 00:26
31 Blel Kadri Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
32 Geraint Thomas Sky Procycling @ same time
33 Maarten Wynants Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
34 Vladimir Isaychev Katusha Team @ same time
35 Christian Knees Sky Procycling @ same time
36 Karsten Kroon Team Saxo Bank 00:28
37 Jaroslaw Marycz Team Saxo Bank @ same time
38 Danny Pate Sky Procycling 00:29
39 Stijn Vandenbergh Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
40 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
41 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte Movistar Team 00:30
42 Laurens Ten Dam Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
43 Gregory Henderson Lotto – Belisol Team 00:31
44 Simon Spilak Katusha Team @ same time
45 Xabier Zandio Echaide Sky Procycling @ same time
46 Joost Posthuma RadioShack – Nissan 00:32
47 Dmitriy Fofonov Astana Pro Team @ same time
48 Adam Leigh Howard GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
49 Alexandre Pichot Europcar @ same time
50 John Degenkolb 1t4i @ same time
51 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil Movistar Team 00:33
52 Kanstantsin Siutsou Sky Procycling @ same time
53 Imanol Erviti Ollo Movistar Team @ same time
54 Kris Boeckmans Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:34
55 Sergey Lagutin Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
56 Robert Kiserlovski Astana Pro Team @ same time
57 Sandy Casar Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
58 Michael Morkov Team Saxo Bank 00:35
59 Evgeni Petrov Astana Pro Team @ same time
60 Andr̩as Kl̦den RadioShack РNissan 00:36
61 Daniel Navarro Garcia Team Saxo Bank @ same time
62 Vasil Kiryienka Movistar Team @ same time
63 Dries Devenyns Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
64 Thomas Dekker Team Garmin – Barracuda 00:37
65 Julien Simon Saur – Sojasun @ same time
66 Koen De Kort 1t4i @ same time
67 Simon Clarke GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
68 Jan Bakelants RadioShack – Nissan 00:38
69 Amaël Moinard BMC Racing Team @ same time
70 Mikel Astarloza Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
71 Javier Moreno Bazan Movistar Team @ same time
72 Dennis Van Winden Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
73 Eros Capecchi Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
74 Frederik Veuchelen Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:39
75 Michael Albasini GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:40
76 Jonathan Hivert Saur – Sojasun @ same time
77 Adam Hansen Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
78 Janez Brajkovic Astana Pro Team @ same time
79 Rigoberto Uran Sky Procycling 00:41
80 Nicolas Roche Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
81 Diego Ulissi Lampre – ISD 00:42
82 Kevin Seeldraeyers Astana Pro Team @ same time
83 Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armienta Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
84 Francesco Gavazzi Astana Pro Team @ same time
85 S̩bastien Minard Ag2R РLa Mondiale @ same time
86 Denis Menchov Katusha Team @ same time
87 Jens Keukeleire GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:43
88 Tiziano Dall’antonia Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
89 Grega Bole Lampre – ISD @ same time
90 Ivan Basso Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
91 Damien Gaudin Europcar 00:44
92 Andrey Kashechkin Astana Pro Team @ same time
93 Pierrick Fedrigo Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat 00:45
94 Anthony Geslin Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
95 Simon Geschke 1t4i 00:46
96 Jan Ghyselinck Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
97 Dominik Nerz Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
98 Gorka Izagirre Insausti Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:47
99 Davide Malacarne Europcar @ same time
100 Yukiya Arashiro Europcar 00:49
101 Marcus Burghardt BMC Racing Team @ same time
102 Yannick Talabardon Saur – Sojasun @ same time
103 Jonas Aaen Jorgensen Team Saxo Bank 00:50
104 Heinrich Haussler Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
105 Sep Vanmarcke Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
106 Arnold Jeannesson Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
107 C̩dric Pineau Equipe Cycliste FDJ РBigMat @ same time
108 Jean-christophe Peraud Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
109 Christophe Le Mevel Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
110 Nikolas Maes Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:51
111 Alexandre Geniez 1t4i @ same time
112 Adrian Saez De Arregi Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
113 Romain Sicard Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:52
114 Alexander Kristoff Katusha Team @ same time
115 Ãngel Vicioso Arcos Katusha Team @ same time
116 Daniele Pietropolli Lampre – ISD 00:53
117 Aidis Kruopis GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
118 Bjorn Leukemans Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
119 Klaas Lodewyck BMC Racing Team 00:54
120 Leonardo Bertagnolli Lampre – ISD @ same time
121 Frank Schleck RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
122 Hubert Dupont Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
123 Giovanni Bernaudeau Europcar 00:55
124 Igor Anton Hernandez Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
125 Murilo Antonio Fischer Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
126 Guillaume Levarlet Saur – Sojasun @ same time
127 Andreas Klier Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
128 David Lelay Saur – Sojasun @ same time
129 Koldo Fernández De Larrea Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
130 Mark Renshaw Rabobank Cycling Team 00:56
131 Eduard Vorganov Katusha Team @ same time
132 Damiano Cunego Lampre – ISD 00:57
133 David Moncouti̩ Cofidis РLe Credit En Ligne @ same time
134 David Lopez Garcia Movistar Team 00:58
135 Thomas Voeckler Europcar @ same time
136 Daniele Righi Lampre – ISD @ same time
137 David Arroyo Duran Movistar Team @ same time
138 Paolo Longho Borghini Liquigas – Cannondale 00:59
139 Matteo Bono Lampre – ISD 01:00
140 Edward King Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
141 Marcel Kittel 1t4i 01:01
142 Andy Schleck RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
143 Jimmy Engoulvent Saur – Sojasun @ same time
144 Xavier Florencio Katusha Team 01:02
145 Tom Veelers 1t4i 01:03
146 Kasper Larsen Klostergaard Team Saxo Bank 01:04
147 Jacopo Guarnieri Astana Pro Team @ same time
148 Wesley Sulzberger GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
149 Danilo Wyss BMC Racing Team @ same time
150 Pierre Cazaux Euskaltel – Euskadi 01:05
151 Luis Angel Mate Mardones Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
152 Elia Viviani Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
153 Anders Lund Team Saxo Bank 01:06
154 Mickael Buffaz Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne 01:07
155 Lars Ytting Bak Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
156 Anthony Ravard Ag2R – La Mondiale 01:08
157 Vincent Jerome Europcar 01:09
158 Maarten Neyens Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
159 Romain Feillu Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 01:13
160 R̩my Di Gregorio Cofidis РLe Credit En Ligne 01:17
161 Martijn Maaskant Team Garmin – Barracuda 01:18
162 Mickael Cherel Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
163 Sylvester Szmyd Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
164 Giampaolo Caruso Katusha Team 01:20
165 Yauheni Hutarovich Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat 01:21
166 Jeremie Galland Saur – Sojasun 01:22
167 Olivier Kaisen Lotto – Belisol Team 01:23
168 Sébastien Chavanel Europcar 01:24
169 Matthew Lloyd Lampre – ISD 01:25
170 Matthew Wilson GreenEdge Cycling Team 01:28
171 Ricardo Garcia Ambroa Euskaltel – Euskadi 01:31
172 Tristan Valentin Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne 01:32
173 Grischa Niermann Rabobank Cycling Team 01:34
174 Roy Curvers 1t4i 01:55
175 Samuel Dumoulin Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne 02:17
176 Nick Nuyens Team Saxo Bank 06:11
