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PARIS NICE LA COURSE AU SOLEIL
Paris-Nice has always been the first major stage race in France for the international peloton.
Since the first edition in 1933, we have had the following podium: France 22 victories , Belgium 14 victories and Ireland 8 victories.
This race has always been of interest to racers and also to cycling leaders of all times.
Since 1933 that great names of runners have won Paris-Nice: René Viéto, Roger Lapébie, Maurice Archambaud Louison Bobet and his brother Jean, Alfred De Bruyne, Jacques Anquetil, Jan Jansens, Tom Simpson, Eddy Merckx, Raymond Poulidor, Joop Zoetemelk, Freddy Maertens, Gilbert Duclos Lasalle, Stephen Roche , Sean Kelly, Miguel Indurain, Alex Zulle, Tony Rominger, Laurent Jalabert, Alexandre Vinokourov, Alberto Contador, Bradley Wiggins, Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas.
Since Laurent Jalabert and his treble 1995- 1996-1997 , no French rider has been able to win this beautiful event.
THE HISTORY OF THE LEADER'S JERSEY
The Paris-Nice leader's jersey has evolved over the last few decades : the colour was white from 1955 until 2001. When ASO (organiser of the Tour) bought the race licence from Laurent Fignon in 2002, the colour became yellow and white and then totally yellow like the yellow jersey of the Tour de France.
This white jersey of first of the general classification of Paris-Nice remains a mythical jersey in the history of cycling with all these great champions Anquetil, Merckx, Poulidor, Zoetemelk Roche, Kelly, Jalabert.
SEAN KELLY MISTER PARIS-NICE OR THE RECORD-BREAKER
Irish champion Sean Kelly, discovered by Viscount De Gribaldy, holds the record for the number of victories in this event with 7 consecutive wins.
In 1982, he succeeded his compatriot Stephen Roche and began his hegemony on this beautiful event: the adversity of the time was renowned with Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche, Greg Lemond, Laurent Fignon.
It was the perfect rider profile for this early season event.
In his first Paris-Nice victory in 1982, Sean Kelly won four stages, the last one, the time he climbed the Col d'èze, allowing him to gain the few seconds on Gilbert Duclos-Lasalle who wore the white leader's jersey during this last half-stage.
In 1988 he won his last Paris-Nice by setting the record of 7 consecutive Paris-Nice: during this last climb he had a lot to do with our Frenchman Ronan Pensec who held him high until he was 2 seconds behind him on the timed ascent of the Col d'Èze.
ANQUETIL : 5 PARIS NICE
From 1957 to 1966, Maitre Jacques or Jacques Anquetil managed to win Paris-Nice five times.
He held the record for the number of Paris Nice victories until Sean Kelly's 7 consecutive wins from 1982 to 1988.
At the very beginning of his professional career he registered his first Paris-Nice in 1957. Maitre Jacques or the master of the stopwatch took the leader's jersey during the 33 kilometre Alès-Uzès time trial where his qualities as a rouleur and solo effort caused a sensation.
In 1957, he beat 4 Belgian riders and the French champion Louison Bobet.
In 1966 for his fifth Paris-Nice victory, the Poulidor-Anquetil match was sublime.
That year, the race to the sun went through Corsica with two stages, one of which was timed: this time trial stage won by Poulidor gave him the leader's jersey and a definite advantage in the classification.
The last stage came back to the continent and offered us a very nice spectacle on the 167 kilometers between Antibes and Nice: Jacques Anquetil attacked several times, let go Raymond Poulidor in the white jersey and leader of the general classification.
Jacques Anquetil presented himself alone in Nice with a lead of more than a minute and twenty seconds over his pursuers, including Raymond Poulidor.
Maitre Jacques succeeded in tilting the race and the final ranking in his favour.
He won his fifth and final Paris-Nice with panache.
Final classification Paris-Nice 1966
1 Jacques Anquetil Ford France34 h 02 min 01 s
2 Raymond Poulidor Mercier-BP+ 48 s
3 Vittorio Adorni Salvarani+ 1 min 47 s
4 Eddy Merckx Peugeot-BP-Michelin+ 2 min 03 s
5 Arie den Hartog Ford France+ 2 min 41 s
6 Rudi Altig Molteni + 3 min 10 s
7 Paul Gutty Grammont-Tigra+ 3 min 46 s
8 Désiré Letort Peugeot-BP-Michelin+ 4 min 32 s
9 Roger Milliot Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune+ 4 min 52 s
10 Arnaldo Pambianco Salvarani+ 6 min 28 s
MERCKX: PARIS NICE 1969,1970 AND 1971
Merckx already in 1969 began its harvest of one-week stage races and grand tours.
In March 1969 for his first Paris-Nice he dominated the French duo Poulidor-Anquetil.
He won with panache (3 stages) his first Paris Nice
Final Ranking Paris-Nice 1969
1 Eddy Merckx Faema 31 h 56 min 57 s
2 Raymond Poulidor Mercier-BP-Hutchinson+ 51 s
3 Jacques Anquetil Bic+ 2 min 17 s
4 Herman Van Springel Mann-Grundig+ 3 min 40 s
5 Raymond Delisle Peugeot-BP-Michelin+ 4 min 27 s
6 Jan Janssen Bic+ 4 min 51 s
7 Gilbert Bellone Bic+ 4 min 57 s
8 Rolf Wolfshohl Bic+ 5 min 04 s
9 Roger Pingeon Peugeot-BP-Michelin+ 5 min 56 s
10 Alain Vasseur Bic+ 6 min 17 s
Eddy Merckx won the 1970 Paris-Nice ahead of Bic team leaders Luis Ocana and Jan Janssen.
For his last victorious Paris-Nice his dolphins were the Swede Gosta Pettersson and the Spaniard from Mont de Marsan Luis Ocana.
POULIDOR BAT MERCKX
In 1972, Raymond Poulidor won his first Paris Nice in front of the great Eddy Merckx, who already held 3 Tours de France.
This Poupou victory is a big event in international cycling: the great Eddy defeated by Raymond Poulidor.
The last stage of this edition was still decisive.
The traditional time trial of the ascent of the Col d'èze was the Justice of the Peace of this edition.
Eddy Merckx had held the white leader's jersey since the Paris prologue and still had a 16-second lead over Raymond Poulidor at the start of the last stage.
Raymond Poulidor accomplishes the feat of taking 22 seconds from Eddy Merckx by taking the victory in the final time trial.
Paris-Nice 1972 final standings
1 Raymond Poulidor Gan-Mercier31 h 43 min 57 s
2 Eddy Merckx Molteni + 6 s
3 Luis Ocaña Bic+ 52 s
4 Raymond Delisle Peugeot-BP-Michelin+ 1 min 15 s
5 Miguel María Lasa Kas-Kaskol+ 1 min 19 s
6 Leif Mortensen Bic+ 1 min 35 s
7 Roger Pingeon Peugeot-BP-Michelin+ 1 min 41 s
8 Willy De Geest Van Cauter-Magniflex-De Gribaldy+ 1 min 44 s
9 Yves Hézard Sonolor+ 1 min 49 s
10 Joop Zoetemelk Beaulieu-Flandria+ 1 min 51 s
In 1973 he won a new Paris-Nice in front of Joop Zoetemelk and Eddy Merckx.
That year, the decisive time trial was won by Joop Zoetemelk, who was able to regain only 7 seconds of Raymond Poulidor's 11-second lead.
HINAULT BEATEN BY KNETEMANN IN 1978
Our champion Bernard Hinault has never been able to add a Paris-Nice to his prestigious prize list.
His best ranking in Paris-Nice goes back to 1978, the year of his first victorious Tour de France.
During this edition the Dutch champion Gerrie knetemenn won several stages and especially the last one, the famous climb of the Col d'Èze in individual time trial.
Many observers thought that Bernard Hinault could recover the few seconds that separated him from the Dutch rider; It was not the case, Gerrie Knetemann won the timed stage ahead of Bernard Hinault who lost another ten seconds and the third was the other Dutch champion Joop Zoetemelk. This classification at the top of the col d'èze is the final general classification of this race we see Hinault and Zoetemelk soon to be future winners of the Tour de France in the following seasons.
Final general classification of this Paris-Nice 1978
1 Gerrie Knetemann TI-Raleigh-Mc Gregor30 h 07 min 07 s
2 Bernard Hinault Renault-Gitaneat 19 s
3 Joop Zoetemelk Miko-Mercier-Hutchinsonat 31 s
4 Michel Laurent Peugeot-Esso-Michelinat 1min 22 sec.
5 Yves Hézard Peugeot-Esso-Michelinat 1 min 26 s
6 Henk Lubberding TI-Raleigh-Mc Gregor at 1 min 57 s
7 Hennie Kuiper TI-Raleigh-Mc Gregor at 1 min 57 s `
8 Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle Peugeot-Esso-Michelinat 3 min 01 s
9 André Mollet Miko-Mercier-Hutchinsonat 3 min 02 s
10 Sven-Åke Nilsson Miko-Mercier-Hutchinsonat 3 min 10 s
MIGUEL INDURAIN : 1989 HIS FIRST PARIS NICE
After the hegemony of Sean Kelly, world cycling was about to discover a new great in the international peloton with the Spanish rider Miguel Indurain.
The Iberian champion has the 1989 and 1990 Paris-Nice to his credit.
Everyone guessed in him the future great of the Tour de France.
In his first Paris-Nice he beat the former winner of this event Stephen Roche from Ireland and the Frenchman Marc Madiot.
For his last success, in 1990 one year before his first victorious Tour, Miguel Indurain won in front of great champions Stephen Roche, Luc Leblanc and Laurent Fignon.
From 1991 to 1995 during his victorious Tours, he took part in Paris Nice in 1992 and contributed to the success of one of his team-mates, the Frenchman Jean-François Bernard in 1992.
JALABERT AND 3 PARIS-NICE Above the PALMARES
Laurent Jalabert remains the last French rider to win this week-long race at the start of the season.
He included three editions of Paris Nice in 1995, 1996 and 1997 in the long list of victories in his career.
In the Paris-Nice's list of honours, Sean Kelly of course leads the way with 7 consecutive victories, Jacques Anquetil has 5, then Laurent Jalabert has 3 like the great Eddy Merckx and Joop Zoetemellk.
Jalabert also precedes Raymond Poulidor dit " Poupou " who holds two of them.
The 77th Paris-Nice has just taken off with a stormy wind for some.
The French riders with their leaders Romain Bardet Lilian Calmejane will shine on the beautiful and difficult stages.
Laurent Jalabert is still waiting on the croisette in Nice for his worthy French successor at this beautiful event at the beginning of the season.
