Paris-Nice 2018 – Stage 8 [FULL STAGE]

March 11, 2018

Paris-Nice 2018 – Stage 8 – Nice – Nice : 110 km

The 2018 Paris–Nice is a road cycling stage race that is scheduled to take place between 4 and 11 March 2018 in France. It will be the 76th edition of the Paris–Nice and the sixth event of the 2018 UCI World Tour.

Long touted as the natural successor to Miguel Indurain and Alberto Contador, Marc Soler (Movistar), winner of the 2015 Tour de L’Avenir, snatched a dramatic overall win in Paris-Nice, wrecking Simon Yates’ best-laid plans with an attack a la Contador on the rain soaked roads of the Cote d’Azur. Soler is the first rider since Contador in 2007 to win both the yellow and the best young rider jerseys in the ‘Race to the Sun.’

Soler’s overall win, by a mere four seconds, after he finished third behind back-to-back Nice stage winner, David De La Cruz (Team Sky) and fellow Spaniard Omar Fraile (Astana), further boosts Movistar’s all-star stage racing firepower, with the 24-year-old demonstrating he has now every right to be taken as seriously as Mikel Landa, Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde.

Soler is always quick to play down the comparisons with Indurain and Contador, which inevitably followed his spectacular overall victory.

“I’ve heard it a few times,” he said afterwards, “but I’m not at their level yet. I’m still learning.”

But he admitted that he had Contador in his mind when he launched his attack on Yates’ 37 seconds overnight lead on the Cote de Peille.

“I was trying to replay a little of what Contador did in Paris-Nice,” he said. “I was a big fan of his and I wanted to ride in his style. I thought that maybe the stage win was possible, but I was thinking more of the podium than of taking the jersey.”

For Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), bushwhacked in the rain by a Spanish trio, it was a bitter ending to a Race to the Sun in which, after winning Saturday’s summit finish to La Colmiane, he had high hopes.

Yates had to wait on the finish line to hear of Soler’s narrow victory and was clearly bitterly disappointed to lose by just four seconds.

“When Marc went on the attack, we still had a long way to go and I still had many rivals to watch,” Yates said. “I can’t watch everybody and I can’t follow everybody, so you have to take a risk sometimes. In the final, I didn’t have the legs to close the gap. But I did the best I could. Today a great rider won.

“Marc did a really good ride and I congratulate him,” Yates said. “He’s going to be a very good rider but we’ve known that for a long time already. Of course, I had the stage win yesterday and I’m getting closer to an overall win. I lost the Tour of Romandie on the last day last year in the time trial by 20, or 30 seconds, and I’ve lost Paris-Nice by four seconds today. So I’m getting closer and hopefully one day I will take the top spot.”

How It Unfolded

The weather on the Promenade des Anglais could hardly have been worse this morning, as driving rain and high winds lashed the start area and swept across the hills inland from Nice. There were four non starters for the 110 kilometre final stage: Dries Devenyns (Quick Step), Nils Politt (Katusha), Christophe Laporte and Cyril Lemoine (both Cofidis). They would later be joined by a lengthy list of abandons.

The first signs that the peloton perceived Yates’ lead as vulnerable came after 20 kilometres, when de la Cruz, Fraile and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), together with Jesus Herrada of Cofidis, broke away on the Cote de Levens. As a flurry of attacks came and went in the ebb and flow of the first hour, Yates seemed to expend a lot of energy following moves from rivals including Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain Merida), Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and Julian Alaphilippe (Quickstep)

Eventually, after 60 kilometres, Alaphilippe and Fraile led the yellow jersey group by a minute and fifteen, after Fuglsang dropped out of the move following a crash. But when Fraile dropped Alaphilippe and moved ahead, alone, at the foot of the Cote de Peille, that gave Soler, de la Cruz and Gorka Izagirre their cue to give chase.

It was the decisive moment in this year’s Paris-Nice and it was too much for Yates, who suddenly found himself isolated and forced to chase, without any team mates. With 40 kilometres still to race, Soler, de la Cruz and Fraile pushed on, maintaining their lead even through the numerous slick and treacherous bends taking them over the Col d’Eze and to the foot of the final climb, the Col des Quatre Chemins.

With Bahrain-Merida’s Izagirre brothers moving clear of a faltering Yates to close the gap, the outcome still hung in the balance even as the break sped back down towards the Promenade des Anglais, but then when the Izagirre brothers wiped out, on a left hand hairpin, just six kilometres from the finish, Soler’s hopes, not just of a podium finish, but even of overall victory, suddenly got better.

Until that point, with Yates chasing and the Izagirres closing, a Soler win had looked uncertain, but the crash gave the Movistar rider renewed impetus on the fast roads back into central Nice.

“We were a little surprised by how strong Soler was,” admitted Bahrain-Merida sports director, Gorazd Stangeli afterwards. “It was a game of poker, deciding whether to attack or to defend our position. After Soler went away, we didn’t know which tactic was best, because we could have been in danger of losing Jon’s podium spot. I think without the crash they (the Izagirre brothers) would have got onto the podium, because we lost 15 seconds. But they decided to attack and take risks in the descent.”

Soler opted not to compete for the win, leaving an exultant de la Cruz to open his account with Team Sky by repeating his stage win from a year ago. Thirty eight seconds later, Yates crossed the line, already looking downcast, in a group containing Wellens and the Izagirre brothers. Soler’s overall win may have been a little unexpected, but the 24 year old rode consistently throughout the week, taking second place on the stage four time trial, eighth in the key summit finish at La Colmiane on Saturday and third on the final stage into Nice.

Results :
1 David De La Cruz (Spa) Team Sky 2:53:06
2 Omar Fraile (Spa) Astana Pro Team
3 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:03
4 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:38
5 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
6 Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott
7 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
8 Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Movistar Team
9 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
10 Ion Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
11 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
12 Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:55
13 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:01:30
14 Michael Valgren (Den) Astana Pro Team
15 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:02:45
16 Warren Barguil (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
17 Paul Martens (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:03:03
18 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:44
19 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
20 Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb
21 Pierre Rolland (Fra) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
22 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
23 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:03:46
24 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott
25 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:06:13
26 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:06:26
27 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie 0:08:32
28 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
29 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:08:43
30 Tony Gallopin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
31 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott 0:09:42
32 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team 0:09:45
33 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team 0:10:10
34 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Mitchelton-Scott 0:12:56
35 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors 0:12:58
36 Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal 0:13:51
37 Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:14:05
38 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal
39 Delio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
40 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
41 Benjamin King (USA) Dimension Data
42 Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Sky
43 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
44 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
45 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
46 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data
47 Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
48 Natnael Berhane (Eri) Dimension Data
49 Robert Gesink (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
50 Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team
51 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky
52 Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
53 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team
54 Amael Moinard (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
55 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Team Sky
56 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team
57 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
58 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
59 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:14:10
60 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:19:11
61 Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 0:21:50
62 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie 0:23:42
63 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
64 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
65 Hector Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team
66 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team
67 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Trek-Segafredo
68 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
69 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:24:34
70 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data
71 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:25:36
72 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
73 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Quick-Step Floors
74 Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
75 Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
76 Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo
77 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb
78 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
DNF Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
OOT Rory Sutherland (Aus) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Manuele Boaro (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida
OOT Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
DNS Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
DNF Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
DNF Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
DNS Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
OOT Esteban Chaves (Col) Mitchelton-Scott
DNS Alex Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
OOT Mathew Hayman (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
DNF Simon Gerrans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
DNF Nicolas Roche (Irl) BMC Racing Team
DNF Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Laurent Pichon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Timo Roosen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Team Sunweb
DNS Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNS Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Matti Breschel (Den) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
DNF Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
DNF Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
DNF Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
DNF Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz (Pol) Delko Marseille Provence KTM

Final General Classification :
1 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team 30:22:41
2 Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:04
3 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:14
4 Ion Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:16
5 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
6 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:32
7 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:44
8 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:54
9 David De La Cruz (Spa) Team Sky 0:02:15
10 Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:35
11 Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Movistar Team 0:03:47
12 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky 0:04:08
13 Sam Oomen (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:05:03
14 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:05:51
15 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:08:16
16 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:11:35
17 Warren Barguil (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:12:45
18 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors 0:14:13
19 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Mitchelton-Scott 0:14:53
20 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:16:14
21 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:17:19
22 Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:20:15
23 Pierre Rolland (Fra) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 0:22:09
24 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:22:36
25 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:22:59
26 Omar Fraile (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:24:25
27 Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:24:47
28 Tony Gallopin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:28:04
29 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:29:13
30 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:29:47
31 Michael Valgren (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:31:15
32 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott 0:33:01
33 Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Sky 0:36:08
34 Natnael Berhane (Eri) Dimension Data 0:37:50
35 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:37:51
36 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:38:07
37 Delio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:38:31
38 Robert Gesink (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:38:35
39 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Trek-Segafredo 0:40:59
40 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:41:07
41 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie 0:43:18
42 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:44:04
43 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:44:31
44 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team 0:45:25
45 Benjamin King (USA) Dimension Data 0:45:36
46 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:46:03
47 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott 0:47:41
48 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team 0:47:52
49 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data 0:48:43
50 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:51:20
51 Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 0:52:15
52 Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:52:49
53 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:53:58
54 Paul Martens (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:55:52
55 Amael Moinard (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:57:40
56 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie 0:59:41
57 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team 1:00:27
58 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 1:02:07
59 Hector Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team 1:04:59
60 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 1:05:15
61 Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1:06:09
62 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida 1:08:41
63 Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 1:08:54
64 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Team Sky 1:09:32
65 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:10:49
66 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team 1:11:03
67 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 1:13:02
68 Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo 1:13:27
69 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky 1:14:11
70 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie 1:16:06
71 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 1:16:44
72 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb 1:19:07
73 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data 1:22:21
74 Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal 1:23:52
75 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 1:27:31
76 Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 1:28:41
77 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 1:36:14
78 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Quick-Step Floors 1:37:11