Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEDGE) got his 2016 season off to the best possible start as he won his first race of the year, the Paris-Nice prologue. The Australian was one second faster than pre-race favourite Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) while Patrick Bevin delivered a surprisingly good performance by taking third in his first ever European WorldTour race. Matthews is of course the first leader of the race.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Michael Matthews: This is the year for me to try to win Paris-Nice

Multiple grand tour stage winner Michael Matthews has made a perfect start to 2016, taking out the Paris-Nice prologue in his first race of the season.

 

Matthews stopped the clock on the predominately flat 6.1km city centre prologue in a time of seven minutes 39seconds to take the victory and yellow jersey on day one of the WorldTour stage race.

 

"It's my first race of the season so to beat a guy like Dumoulin who is one of the best time trial specialists in the world, it's definitely very special," said Matthews.

 

"It wasn't really on the top of my goals list for Paris-Nice. I was hoping for a top five today to be around the guys and then try and take the yellow in one of the next stages. It obviously all came together and I am happy I was able to take the win.

 

"First day back in the grid and first win. It's really a great start to the season. I was thinking a top five was possible on a course like this. It was hilly, with lots of technical corners, which suits me. I had high hopes but I didn't think I could win this.

 

“The next few stages are flat sprints so I should be able to keep the jersey. We'll see how far I can go. My climbing form is quite good so it will be nice to see how long I can keep it. It's an amazing jersey and an amazing race.

 

“This is Paris-Nice and I know most of the climbs on the course this week. I'm a bit surprised because this was my first race of the season. I knew the training had gone pretty well but it's hard to tell exactly how you'll feel at race level.

 

"We will take it day by day and now that I have the jersey we will just try and look after it for as long as possible.

 

“I did not know where I was. I just started after a four months and didn’t think a lot about this prologue. I find that this year’s Paris-Nice is perfect for me. I have done recons of the stages of the weekend near Nice. It will be difficult for me to win the general classification but this is a year where I can try to do it. Anyway, I got a great start by winning the prologue.

 

“I knew that to do well in Paris-Nice, I absolutely had to be good in the time trial. By doing so well in this exercise, I'll be better in the mountains and just as good in the sprint. I can do better in all areas but I remain a powerful sprinter.

 

“To beat Dumoulin is a big surprise. Tom is much more powerful than me in this discipline. I did not expect to finish so close to him. My idea was to make a Top 5 to try to take the yellow jersey thanks to bonuses over the next two days. In the end, I did much better, everything worked perfectly. The work pays off. After such preparation, you never know what to expect and so it's a huge satisfaction to beat a benchmark like him.

 

”My results are a big source of motivation for 2016. When you start to train in the winter, I needed it to get the possibility to fight with the best. This gives me confidence.

 

”My late start is based on past experience. I prepare for the classics and rather than working in the Tour Down Under, the Australian Championships or the Herald Sun Tour in the heat, I opted for training in Europe to be in the same climatic conditions as in Paris-Nice and Milan-San Remo. And I preferred this long preparation instead of doing smaller races.

 

”I did not check the stage of Vendôme. I am prepared for a bunch sprint. I do not know these areas . I'll look at the road book and talk to my director.”

 

As Matthews' first race for 2016 sport director Laurenzo Lapage wasn't suprised with the world championship silver medalist's form, praising the 25-year old's professionalism in the off-season.

 

"Michael was really relaxed and confident before the race," said Lapage. "Last year we did the same thing, he started here for his first race of the year.

 

"With Michael we always know he is coming into races prepared and we expected him to possibly be in the top three, but it takes a special talent to win a prologue especially in the first race of the season.

 

"With Tom Dumoulin (Team Giant Alpecin) coming here as one of the specialists and Michael beating him, that says enough about his form."

 

After taking the victory against tough competition, Lapage expressed how the win creates a positive start to Paris-Nice for the team and the rest of the season.

 

"Today could not be better," he continued. "All the team had a good prologue, Daryl Impey had a strong ride, also Sam Bewley and Simon Yates, so we are very happy with the team performance today and it's a positive going into the next stages that's for sure.

 

"There is a big chance of a bunch sprint tomorrow, we hope so and of course are going to control the race. I think the second part of the race we are going to have help from some of the sprinter's teams anyway."

 

Wrong gear costly for Tom Dumoulin in Paris-Nice prologue

A short and sharp prologue kicked off the Paris-Nice race for Team Giant-Alpecin this Sunday. Tom Dumoulin wanted to start off the week with a strong prologue and that’s what he did.

 

Dumoulin  took the second place at the prologue of 6.1 km. Tom Dumoulin put in a time of 07’40” at an average pace of 48km/h on the flat course, losing only 1″ on winner Michael Matthews. His strong performance puts him in contention for the general classification.

 

It was also a strong performance from Tobias Ludvigsson who finished in 13th place.

 

Tom Dumoulin gave his reaction after the race: “I am a little disappointed with the result, I made one mistake on the climb, my gear was too high and I was not as fast as usual in the corners.”

 

“That Matthews beats me by a second just sucks,” he told De Telegraaf.

 

"I'm frankly not very much surprised that he is faster. I'm a rider who needs to find my rhythm. And it did not there yet. It was constantly on and off.

 

"The advantage is that we do not have to control the race in the coming days.”

 

Coach Aike Visbeek said: “Tom did a good prologue and he paced his effort very well.  It shows that he is in very good shape at the moment.

 

“Overall, I am very happy with the level of the riders, especially Tobias and Simon [Geschke] who did very solid prologue.

 

“Tomorrow will be a tricky stage but the team is focused on keeping Tom in contention in the general classification. We will have to be very focused and alert.”

 

Fantastic Patrick Bevin two seconds from victory in first ever WorldTour time trial

First WorldTour race in Europe. First WorldTour podium. Bevin delivered a blistering fast ride in the 6.1km Paris-Nice prologue on Sunday to finish in third place against a field in which nearly 20 riders were expected to contend for the top-three. The Kiwi time trial champion said he’s delighted with the effort. “I didn’t know how good I was going,” said Bevin post-race. “It’s hard to know in these kind of time trials. They’re so short and the margin is so small.” “I felt good, and the rhythm was right, and I was handling the course fairly well,” he added. “I took a couple of corners really hot and carried some pretty good speed. It’s hard. It’s hard to know what kind of ride you’re delivering on a course like that.”   By race end, two seconds separated third from first. Is Bevin lamenting what could have been?   “No. I can’t change it. It is what it is," he said pragmatically. "Two seconds between third and a WorldTour win is not a lot, but there will be plenty more time trials during the season. It’s a discipline I’ve worked on a lot, and I still have some refining to do, I think. As the season rolls on, and I’ve got a few more under the belt and find that race rhythm, we’ll see how it goes.”   “Last year I watched this race. I was on the ergo at home in New Zealand training in the rain,” said Bevin. “To be here a year later and pretty close to the top guys is a good feeling. That’s what you train to do – to be a part of that race.” Slipstream Sports CEO Jonathan Vaughters expressed pride in the new signing who he sees flourishing at Cannondale Pro Cycling Team.   “Paddy’s prologue ride was a surprise. A very pleasant surprise! First time the kid has done a WorldTour race in Europe, and he makes the podium. That is damn impressive.”

 

Excellent start for two Movistar captains in Paris-Nice prologue

Movistar Team started the 2016 Paris-Nice on a high today. Directed by José Luis Arrieta and José Luis Laguía, they took the early lead in the teams’ classification thanks to Jesús Herrada and the Izagirre brothers, Ion and Gorka, all of whom made the top-20 in the 6.1km individual time trial around Conflans-Saint-Honorine, north-east of Paris. 

 

The route featured a number of long straights but also a short, sharp 14% slope after just 2km, which broke the rhythm of many of the GC contenders but favoured the Movistar Team leaders. Herrada, provisional leader for nearly an hour, finished in 4th spot, 6” adrift of the surprise winner, Michael Matthews (OGE), who pipped Tom Dumoulin (TGA) on the line. Meanwhile, Ion Izagirre took 5th place in the same time as Herrada: the two runners-up from Haut Var and the Algarve proved today that they’re up for a fight in the Race to the Sun.

 

Gorka Izagirre, 16th at 14”, and Rubén Fernández, also within twenty seconds of the day’s winner, remain in the mix ahead of a week full of interesting stages for the team. For the time being, Day Two of racing on Monday includes four gravel sections in the final circuit around Vendôme. The short, sharp ‘wall’ of Tertre de la Motte, just 4km away from the finish, could complicate the expected sprint finish.

 

Lieuwe Westra: I did better than expected

“My goal before the start was to do a time similar at the GC contenders. I did better and I’m satisfied about this” said Lieuwe Westra after the finishing 6th in the prologue.

 

“It was a short but selective race route, I felt very strong and I consider my 6th position, only 7 seconds from the winner, a very good start for this Paris – Nice, a race that I really like,”explained the Dutchman of the Astana Pro Team.

 

“On the hill there was a lot of people and I pushed at maximum on my pedals. I was once second on the final GC of this race, I like it and I’ll try to do my best in the coming week. Let’s race day by day but today was a good start,” concluded Westra.

 

The other Astana Pro Team riders had mixed results: Lars Boom 22nd at 15 seconds, Alexey Lutsenko 26th at 16s, Daniil Fominykh 40th at 22 s, Tanel Kangert 43rd at 23 s, Dmitriy Gruzdev 45th at 23 s, Luis Leon Sanchez 64th at 27 s and Diego Rosa was 78th at 31 seconds.

 

Geraint Thomas disappointed, Sky pleased with prologue result

Geraint Thomas got off to a strong start at Paris-Nice by finishing seventh on the opening day's prologue.

 

Thomas maintained an average speed of 47kmph as he powered around the largely flat 6.1km course, and clocked a time of seven minutes and 46 seconds that proved just seven seconds down on stage winner Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEdge).

 

That result saw Thomas gain seconds on Alberto Contador (Tinkoff), Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) and Richie Porte (BMC Racing), with Tom Dumoulin (Giant Alpecin) the only pre-race favourite to post a faster time.

 

Elsewhere, Nicolas Roche finished just 21 seconds adrift in 36th position, with Sergio Henao 57th (+26sec), Ian Stannard 74th (+29sec), Ben Swift 79th (+31sec), Ian Boswell 85th (+31sec), Mikel Nieve 112th (+39sec) and Luke Rowe 123rd (+42sec).

 

On the way back to the hotel, Sports Director Nicolas Portal was full of praise for Geraint's ride, and believes it has set him up well for a tough week of racing.

 

He told TeamSky: "It was great to see him take time on Richie, Alberto and some of the other GC favourites. Paris-Nice is always a very close race, so any gains we can make now are important.

 

"At the end of his ride Geraint said he'd wanted to do a bit better, but I was super pleased with him. OK, he's always been good at prologues in the past, but he's built like a climber now, so to finish as high as he did was fantastic.

 

"He took three seconds on Porte and nine seconds on Contador. OK, he lost time on Dumoulin, but Dumoulin doesn't look to be in top, top condition right now compared to the Vuelta last season and that might tell in the mountains. We'll see.

 

"Sergio and Nico also did well given that they are climbers as well, and I'm happy with everyone today."

 

Monday's stage concludes with a tricky final circuit, and Portal is already focusing on how best to play it to ensure his riders don't lose any time.

 

He added: "It'll be a bit like a Classics day. That loop at the end is twisty and features a third-category climb on dirt roads, which we tackle two times. At the top it could be windy, so we have to be ready for that.

 

"Our goal will be to make sure G defends his position and then we'll see what happens at the finish."

Excellent Dries Devenyns surprises with 8th place in Paris-Nice prologue

Dries Devenyns was content with his 8th place in the prologue that was won somewhat surprisingly by Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEDGE) over a difficult course designed by the Paris-Nice organizers. 

 

“I am satisfied with my performance.  It was essential to take it to the maximum on that first long straight while being careful not to burn all my matches.  You had to put all your efforts into the steep climb and then the false flat leading to the finish line because this was a very technical course.  Now we will have to be more wary of the wind than the cobbled sections on Monday before the first real climb that will face us at Mont Brouilly on Tuesday.”

 

"For me this is not a total surprise," Devenyns told Het Nieuwsblad. "I knew I was in good shape and it was a prologue on a course that I like: a short time trial, with a few small hills, descents and tight corners. If all goes well, I can do well in such a TT."

 

"I have raced at a high level for several weeks. And then there was the victory in France. That gives confidence. I have a winter without problems and then it is nice that you can quickly see the results. I have not always been so lucky in recent years. Last year, I crashed at the start of the season in the Tour of Qatar, I had stomach problems and I also hit my back. It was only determined at the end of the season that I had a hernia. Meanwhile, it has been resolved now. I'm not going to defend that eighth place. I want to improve my condition here in view of the classics. Especially in the E3 Harelbeke and the Tour of Flanders, I want to be good.

 

“I am proud of this united team,” Michel Thétaz, who is the CEO of IAM said at the outset, after watching in person the prologue that took place in the picturesque city of Conflans-Sainte -Honorine.  “The guys managed to fulfill both objectives.  We asked that two among them try to get into the top-10.  It has been a full day ahead of a week of racing where we will hope to see guys like Coppel and Devenyns play for a podium at the Paris-Nice.”

 

Jérôme Coppel, who was called to the doping control after his race where he averaged 46.870km/h, needed 1h48min in the waiting room before he was able to fulfill his obligation, finally discharged with the help of a welcomed beer.

 

Sylvain Chavanel: I am here to target stage wins, not the GC

Sylvain Chavanel finished 9th.

 

"I have prepared Paris - Nice to target stages, not necessarily the prologue but I'm happy with my feelings,” Chavanel told L’Equipe. “I started the season well, like the team, and it's much less complicated than when starting the year bad. I have already been in the top 5 five times. Each time I have taken it from day to day and I will do the same. There are traps daily and I will aim for stages. Then the GC may come along the way.” 

 

Richie Porte: I know that I am better than I was at the Tour Down Under

Richie Porte put in a solid ride at the Paris Nice prologue to cross the line in 7’49 to sit in 11th place, 10 seconds behind winner Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEDGE).

 

Although only 6.1km in length and relatively flat, the Individual Time Trial course included a sharp left turn after the first passage along the Seine with a steep kick, forcing the riders to dig deep and get out of the saddle.

 

Porte is happy to have the prologue out of the way.

 

“I didn’t lose too much time on the other favorites. This kind of prologue is not really my style of racing but I’m just happy to get Paris-Nice started again this year,” Porte said immediately after the ITT.

 

“I think I’m in quite good shape. At Tour Down Under I was quite good and I know I’m better at the moment than I was then so we just have to see. It’s a long season this year and I have different goals. Of course I’d like to win Paris-Nice again this year but it’s going to be a little bit harder.”

 

Disappointed Wilco Kelderman: Maybe it was a mistake to start early

Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s Wilco Kelderman finished 14th in Paris-Nice’s prologue on Sunday. Australian Michael Matthews of Orica-GreenEdge won the 6.1-kilometre time trial through the streets of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine ahead of Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) and Patrick Bevin (Cannondale).

 

Kelderman opted for an early start because rain was due later in the day. The 24-year-old Dutchman held the lead a long time but was knocked down the rankings to 14th.

 

"I expected more. I was counting on a top five,” Kelderman said after his race. "I started early and now I don’t know if that was the right choice. But I can build on this even if I’m not satisfied. I feel good and I’ll concentrate on the rest of the race and the general classification.”

 

Sport Director Frans Maassen described fair conditions.

 

"I did not have the impression that there was more wind at the end of the day. It was fair and we had the same conditions for everyone. The only thing was that it was slightly colder earlier in the day. I had also expected more. The whole of the team performed well, but we missed that top result. On the other hand, the race is long and we will have plenty of opportunities.”

Tomorrow is a difficult and dangerous stage. The organisation mapped out a course that covers some unpaved sections in the final.

"Tomorrow is a special day," Maassen continued. "All classification riders must fight. The gravel roads are on the local lap. The gravel and the wind will make it a very nervous race. Today, I saw that Sep Vanmarcke is good. He and Wilco are the men we will protect and take to the final."

 

Alberto Contador unfazed by time loss: My legs responded well

Alberto Contador started his Paris-Nice in good form, finishing the opening prologue in a time of 7’55”, two seconds behind teammate Rafal Majka, Tinkoff's fastest finisher. The Spanish rider, who has won the race twice before, goes into the next stage looking to build on his strong performance in the opening time trial.

 

The opening prologue took place over a 6.1km course in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in north-west Paris. Covering a fairly flat parcours, there were a number of twists and turns that had the potential to catch riders out. All of the team’s riders crossed the line without incident, with Majka finishing in 17th, with a time of 7’53”.

 

Talking about his performance, Contador said, "I felt in good form. In the first part, the prologue had a lot of cobbles and in that sense, I wanted to make sure I stayed out of trouble, so I took my hands off the extensions as well as in most of the curves. I am happy because when I had to accelerate, my legs were responding well.”

 

Finishing 16 seconds behind the eventual stage winner, Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEDGE), Contador was confident about the coming days. “I lost time compared to most of the GC contenders but there are still so many kilometres ahead of us. The first sensations were good, we now have to take each day as it comes."

 

Sport Director, Steven De Jongh was pleased with the day’s outcome and was looking forward to tomorrow’s racing. “We’re happy with the result today. We don’t have any real specialists here for this kind of prologue so Rafal and Alberto did a really good job to be in the mix with the other GC riders, so I’m happy with the outcome.”

 

“The course was a bit bumpy and twisty, and had a bit of everything. It wasn’t super fast, with some technical bits and a short, sharp uphill after a few kilometres before a headwind stretch, so you still had to pace your effort.”

 

The ‘Race to the Sun’ now moves to Condé-sur-Vesgre, where the second day’s racing will cover a flat 198km route with a gravel section and exposed roads.

 

Ilnur Zakarin: This was a good start

Team KATUSHA’s Ilnur Zakarin did a good race, posting a fast time and stopping the clock at 07.58.

 

”I felt quite good today. Such a short TT is not my specialty, so I wanted to show a good time and not lose too much to other GC contenders. I think it went well and I can be satisfied with my time. I am happy to be here at the Paris – Nice and I am looking forward to the upcoming week,” said Ilnur Zakarin.

 

Tom Boonen: Why do they have dirt roads in Paris-Nice?

Etixx – Quick-Step's best placed man on Sunday was Niki Terpstra, who came at the start less than four days after taking an epic victory in Le Samyn. The 31-year-old Dutchman stopped the clock in 7:58, 19 seconds behind Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge), who won the race against the clock.

 

In the final of the first stage, the riders face dirt roads. "It's a pity that they do such things in Paris-Nice," Tom Boonen told Sporza.

 

"Let's try something new, but to go back to 100 years is apparently now the trend. Well, I did not become a rider to race on dirt roads. Then I would have stayed in cyclo-cross.

 

"Look, you can laugh about it but it should not be here. This is not a one-day race like Strade Bianche, where you can choose to ride on those roads. Then you go into the race with a team that wants to do that.

 

"This is Paris-Nice, a World Tour race. Riders who want to win the race, will want to sit in front tomorrow. They don’t want to lose time and then it becomes a nervous affair. That's a pity."

 

"But the stage has to be good for us. Sometimes I like to ride on gravel. I do that in training too, but we'll have to be careful. We're going to take Monday as just another race.”

 

Romain Bardet: Prologues are what I fear the most

" It's not a bad start. Prologues are what I fear most in cycling. I'll aim for a stage win and as we will approach the South, it will be better for me. If I get stage win, I can get a good overall as a result," Romain Bardet said after he lost 25 seconds in 53rd.

 

"It's a beautiful course for a good prologue and to get into action even if it's not my favorite exercise. The focus now is on the first step. The goal was not to lose too much time and the results are rather honest. Now Paris-Nice starts. Every second counts but there are still beautiful uphill finishes and bonuses. "

 

Chris Anker Sørensen: I lost a lot of time

Fortuneo-Vital Concept captain Chris-Anker Sorensen was 149th in 8'29 ''.  

 

"I was not bad but I was not good either,” he said. “I lost a lot of time. I'm a bit disappointed but it is like that, sometimes it works, sometimes not. The team managers encouraged me, there were also many spectators today but there was not much to do. Tomorrow will be a difficult day, with lots of wind and risks. I will be on the home trainer to be ready by kilometer zero of the first stage. "  

 

Julien Loubet in 46th was the best rider for the team.

 

"The TT was relatively short and with technical turns and climbs. I had some trouble on my way. The climb was very bad. From there, we had to keep a big rhythm until the end. I felt good in the second part of the prologue. When you're all alone on the bike, you are fighting against yourself. The opponent is the watch but tomorrow it will be different. There will be other factors to consider,” he said.

 

Pierre Luc Périchon was 96th. He explained his approach.

 

"I started the day by doing 25 minutes, with an acceleration of 40 seconds in the middle. Then I got on the bus to prepare. I did 25 minutes on the home trainer. I accelerated with small sprints of about ten seconds to raise the heart rate. Normally, I go to the ramp 7 minutes before the start to control the bike. In this prologue, I was there fifteen minutes in advance. I got a little cold and I was not very effective. I started having good feelings at the bottom of the first climb. But despite an average start, we are ready!”  

  

French champion Steven Tronet was 130th

 

 "It was a good start. Many spectators encouraged me on the climb even if I did not have the jersey today. I'm not particularly anxious for the future, I want to make the most of it and I will give everything for me and for the team,” he said.

 

Rui Costa frustrated by time loss in Paris-Nice prologue

Rui Costa covered the course in 8’11”, 32″ more than the winner Matthews. The Portuguese rider was 88th and his performance was the best one for LAMPRE-MERIDA today.

 

“We started Paris-Nice with a 6km prologue. It was a little hard, short and fast which favored fast and explosive riders,” he wrote in his diary.

 

“I did as I wanted, but given the profile, it was hard to do much better. I am sorry to have lost important seconds in the General Classification, but I will try to recover little by little in the mountains.

 

“I will not give up and fight to stay in the top 5 for the third consecutive year. It would be perfect. I worked hard to be in good physical shape here in Paris-Nice as usual.”

It was an unlucky prologue for Luka Pibernik who crashed in a narrow bend and completed his race in 172nd position, with a time loss of 1’08”. However, he did not suffer injuries.

 

Quiet start for Dimension Data in Paris-Nice prologue

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka did not have a specialist for today's violent prologue effort, as their roster is concentrated on the tough climbing stages still to come this week. The fastest finisher on the day would be Tyler Farrar, the American's 8'14" was just 35 seconds off Matthews’ winning time.

 

The remaining 7 African Team riders all finished within a minute and 4 seconds off of Matthew', setting up an exciting week of racing.

 

“Today was mostly just about getting things going for the rest of the week. I am definitely not any sort of time trial specialist but it was nice to open up the legs a little bit and put a hard effort in. Hopefully it has primed the engine now for the next few days,” Farrar said.