After cursing the rain when he missed victory by a second in Sunday’s Paris-Nice opener, Bradley Wiggins found the weather on his side in Monday’s 185.5km second stage from Mantes la Jolie where the Briton seized control in the Race to the Sun.
Crosswinds sorted the men from the boys and put the Team Sky rider in a group of 21 riders who crossed the line with a 2 minute, 29 second lead over the peloton and helped Tom Boonen snatch his 100th career victory.
Wiggins now holds the yellow jersey with a six-second lead over American Levi Leipheimer, while former world champion Boonen is third, a further second adrift.
Photo: AFP
“The objective is [the Tour de France in] July,” Wiggins told reporters. “It may not be important for me to win Paris-Nice, but it is for the team, to [see how we] defend the jersey. It’s also good that the others see that I’m well.”
“The test was today, you had to be there, have a bit of luck, stay out of trouble,” he said.
Wiggins is now setting his sights on tomorrow’s fifth stage, which ends with the demanding climb to Mende.
“It will be a race of truth,” he said.
There was no doubting his ambitions on the windswept roads to the Loire Valley as Wiggins even won the only intermediate sprint of the day to secure his overall lead.
The changing weather conditions — drizzle and hailstorms followed by sunny spells — accounted for a slow start in Mantes la Jolie outside Paris.
Hostilities started after the feeding zone at the halfway mark when Boonen’s Omega Pharma teammates split the peloton.
Yellow jersey holder Gustav Larsson of Sweden found himself trapped at the back, as were Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck and defending champion Tony Martin of Germany. They never managed to make it back.
The 21 riders to emerge included Wiggins, Leipheimer, Boonen and other favorites American Tejay Van Garderen and Spain’s Alejandro Valverde.
They increased their lead steadily to almost 2:30, a gap they maintained until the finish line.
His job done in the finale, Wiggins left the final say to the sprinters in the break and there were some topflight contenders with Boonen, Spaniard Jose Joaquin Rojas and Germany’s John Degenkolb, who were second and third respectively.
Boonen’s teammate, Sylvain Chavanel, the French champion, led the way in the last 2km to avoid any last-gasp attacks and set up the Belgian for the final surge.
The 31-year-old Boonen was not to be denied his sixth stage victory on Paris-Nice as he easily held off Rojas and Degenkolb to the line.
“It was not easy today with the crosswinds. It was a great battle. We rode at full speed all day with Sylvain [Chavanel] and Levi [Leipheimer]. It’s great to end a day like this with my 100th victory,” Boonen told reporters.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely