There was drama on the second stage of Paris-Nice when stage 1 winner and race leader Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) suddenly slipped in a corner with 47 km remaining. With a bloody face he was transported away from the scene in ambulance, but now seems to have escaped serious injuries.

Nacer Bouhanni was living his childhood dream as he powered ahead of veteran Alessandro Petacchi to take his first ever road stage of Paris-Nice on Monday - and it even happened while wearing the French champion's jersey. With the leader's jersey firmly in his shoulders, he was poised for more success yesterday in a finish perfectly suited to his characteristics.

Those hopes were dashed with the dramatic crash, and instead of contesting the sprint in Cerilly he was brought by ambulance to the team bus. Team doctor Gerard Guillaume assisted him to the hospital in Riom where he got some encouragement on an otherwise sad day.

"Nacer broke two teeth and had an open wound to his lip which required 8 stitches," Guillaume expected after returning to the hotel at 20.30 Tuesday night. "Scans revealed no fractures to his ribs as we had feared. He will be beck on his bike this weekend!"

Teammates mourn the loss

The loss was a huge blow to the FDJ team which had been in total control of the peloton to a bunch sprint and jersey defence for Bouhanni. Lead-out man Geoffrey Soupe had seen a very confident Bouhanni after Monday's success.

"On Monday evening we shared the same room," Soupe told. "We were on a high. Nacer was super motivated, and he believed he could win again."

Teammate and classics specialist Yoann Offredo who was just ahead of Bouhanni when he crashed explained how rain had made the French champion nervous.

"For 15 km he was nervous," Offredo explained. "Furthermore, there was a little sand. He probably took the turn with too much speead and slipped. It was a great shock!"

"We had an extraordinary experience on Monday," Offredo continued. "We are all very sad today. Nacer is a teammate, but most of all he is a friend. It has been a struggle to refocus on the race."

Soupe got his chance

With Bouhanni out of the race, the team ended up giving Geoffrey Soupe the chance to go for a personal result in the final sprint. After seeing the arrival at the first passage of the finish line, he told his teammates that he was confident in his opportunities.

Teammates Arnold Jeannesson, Yoann Offredo and William Bonnet did what they could to set up Soupe in the perfect position. However, patience was the key in the uphill finish into the headwind, and Soupe ended up disappointed in 14th place.

"I went too early," he explained. "I reacted to Petacchi's acceleration and had no more power in the last 150 meters, but I have no regrets."

With Soupe being one of the strongest climbers among the sprinters, he should get a new chance on today's third stage where a 2nd category climb with just 15,5 km remaining should leave most of his fast competitors behind before the predicted sprint finish in Brioude.