Dan Martin one of big winners in savage Paris-Nice opener
Dan Martin made the key split on the opening stage of Paris-Nice 2017 when the crosswinds ripped the field to pieces. Arnaud Demare took the stage win, above, Julien Alaphilippe.
Dan Martin has emerged as one of the really big winners after the opening stage of Paris-Nice.
The Irishman was among a large breakaway of about 20 riders that pulled clear on a day of strong and devastating crosswinds.
The field split to pieces as a result of the conditions on the 148.5km trek starting and finishing in Bois-d'Arcy.
And Martin (QuickStep) was one of very few Paris-Nice general classification riders in the escape.
His team dominated the move and drove it on. And though their lead edged out to 1:30 with 40km remaining it was pegged back on the line to less than half of that.
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In the second group were some of Martin’s rivals for the Paris-Nice yellow jersey, including Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) and Richie Porte (BMC Racing).
Also in that chase group were Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) and Nicolas Roche (BMC Racing).
And while Dan Martin has gained time on most of the other big favourites, there were also some fancied riders up front with him.
They included Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Sergio Henao (Team Sky) and Martin’s team mate Julien Alaphilippe.
As well as those, also in the break, which numbered 26 when it went clear, were: Marco Haller, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Jon Izaguirre, Greg Bole (Bahrain-Merida), Andre Greipel, Tosh Van der Sande, Jelle Wallays (Lotto Soudal), Julien Alaphilippe, Jack Bauer, Philippe Gilbert, Marcel Kittel, Yves Lampart (Quick-Step Floors), Gorka Izaguirre (Movistar), Luke Rowe (Sky), Arnaud Demare, Davide Cimolai, Jacopo Guarnieri, Olivier Le Gac, Rudy Molard, Mac Sarreau (FDJ), Cyrile Lemoine, Bryan Coquard, Angelo Tulik (Direct Energie).
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But just before 1km remaining and after a FDJ drove the leaders up a long rise in the road, Kittel and Greipel were dropped; their chance of taking the Paris-Nice opener gone.
And it was Alaphilippe who attacked, with only Demare (FDJ) able to go across to him.
And it was Demare who took the two-man sprint to win, with Kristoff taking the sprint for 3rd just 9 seconds later, in the same group as Dan Martin after the breakaway had blown to pieces in the final 5km.
Martin was 6th on the day; a great start for him, though his team mate being ahead of him and having such strong legs in the final is perhaps a slight worry.
Crucially, Porte lost 38 seconds to Dan Martin, and Contador 55 seconds to the Irish rider.
Demare took the first Paris-Nice 2017 yellow jersey by four seconds from Alaphilippe thanks to time bonuses, with Kristoff 3rd overall at 15 seconds.
Then comes Gilbert at 16 seconds, Gallopin at 17 seconds and Dan Martin 7th overall at 19 seconds and equal on time with the others sprinting for third on the stage.
Nicolas Roche finished in 33rd place at 1:57 and Sam Bennett was six seconds further back in 35th. Philip Deignan (Team Sky) was 16:10 down in 143rd.
Stage 1: Bois-d’Arcy- Bois-d’Arcy (148.5km)
1 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 3:33:43
2 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors
3 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:09
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
5 Romain Hardy (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept
6 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors
7 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal
8 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-Alpecin
9 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
10 Rudy Molard (Fra) FDJ
33 Nicolas Roche (Irl) BMC Racing 00:01:57
35 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-hansgrohie 00:02:03
General Classification
1 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 3:22:33
2 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:04
3 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:15
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:16
5 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal 0:00:17
6 Romain Hardy (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept 0:00:18
7 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:19
8 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-Alpecin
9 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
10 Rudy Molard (Fra) FDJ
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