Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen has repeated Monday's performance, and last year's, by winning back-to-back stages in the Paris-Nice bicycle race.
Boonen's sprint win over Australian Allan Davis, again, on Tuesday's 124-mile stage keeps him 17 seconds ahead of 2nd place US racer Bobby Julich (Team CSC). The 35-year-old Julich won Sunday's prologue and took the overall win in 2005.
Boonen won the stage after his Quick Step team helped chase down Nicholas Crosbie, a French cyclist who led from the beginning on a solo breakaway but was caught just 6 miles from the finish in Belleville. At one point in the rolling route, he was more than 20 minutes ahead, according to the official Paris-Nice website.
As the peloton heads into Stage 3, only 25 seconds separate the top 10 leaders, which include Tour of California winner Floyd Landis (Phonak) in 8th place.
Wednesday's 104-mile route to St. Etienne includes 6 category mountain tops, including the Category 1 Col de la Croix-de-Chaubouret (10km at 6.5% average grade).
Individual stats and a bike race description are available at the Paris-Nice website.
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