As it turns out, the nine second lead US cyclist Floyd Landis gained on Wednesday was enough to lead all the way to the finish in Nice, four stages later.
The Pennsylvania native has become the second American ever to win The Race to the Sun; the first was Bobby Julich who accomplished the feat in 2005 on Team CSC.
The accomplishment for Landis, riding for the Swiss Phonak team, is doubled as he had just won the 600-mile inaugural Tour of California two weeks ago (Landis on the winner's stage picture above). Landis is quoted on the Paris-Nice website:
“I did not expect to be in such a shape so early in the season and to win here after the Tour of California. But it’s becoming a bit of an American race and I’m very proud to add my name to the winners list of such a prestigious event.”
What's Landis' next step? “Sleep first. And then I will work on a strategy and a preparation for the big race in July.”
That “big race” is the Tour de France, in which Landis had ridden four times. The first three he rode on US Postal in support of race winner Lance Armstrong. In 2005 he rode as leader of the Swiss Phonak team (after Tyler Hamilton was booted for alleged blood doping) and finished 9th overall.
After his early season performance of back to back victories, you'd have to consider him a front runner. Two other pre-season contenders, Jan Ullrich of T-Mobile and Ivan Basso of Team CSC, have yet to be heard from.
While Armstrong entered the second half of his cycling career with a great backstory — conquering cancer, Landis doesn't arrive with a vanilla background either. He's determined and fiesty. Landis' background includes growing up as a member of the conservative Mennonite sect in Pennsylvania, striking off on his own as a mountain bike racer, moving to southern California, switching to road racing, then building a friendship with teammate Armstrong that later turned to animosity.
Sunday's finish, as well as earlier highlight from Paris-Nice, will be broadcast on OLNTV at 5 p.m. ET. (Check local listings.)
The final, 84-mile stage of Paris-Nice was a rough stage with three Category 1 climbs. Although cyclists staged breakaways to get the lead, Landis held off challengers to the general classification lead.
“It’s really a great satisfaction but I must first of all thank my Phonak team-mates. There was no big fight today but since the St Etienne stage when I made the difference, they have worked hard every day. I was rather happy they took it easy today.”
Marcus Zberg won the stage at the line after a battle four other cyclists that started on the the final climb.
Overall, the only other American to finish was Chris Horner (Davitamon) in 10th place. Discovery Channel placed 2nd to Lampre for best overall team; Spaniard Samuel Sanchez won the points jersey and France's David Moncoutie of Cofidis won best climber.
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