Marc Soler wins Paris-Nice after thrilling final stage
Marc Soler won his first stage race title as David de la Cruz beat Omar Fraile on the Promenade des Anglais to win the final stage of Paris-Nice.
24-year-old Soler (Movistar) and De la Cruz (Team Sky) attacked the yellow jersey group on the Cote de Peille and joined up with Fraile (Astana) who'd previously been in the lead with Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors).
While Mitchelton-Scott and Bahrain-Merida worked hard at the front of the yellow jersey group to pull back the gap to under a minute, the trio of Spaniards held firm in very treacherous wet conditions in the south of France.
De la Cruz out sprinted Fraile to win on the Promenade des Anglais for the second year in a row, as Soler sat up knowing his battle was for general classification and not the stage.
Soler, who was 37-seconds down on Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) as the start of the day, ended up beating the Brit by four seconds overall.
An initial attack of 24 riders containing race leader Yates became three on the Cote de Chateauneuf - Alaphilippe, Fraile and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) - before a crash for Fuglsang meant he couldn't hang on at the front and rejoined the 28 chasers some 40-seconds behind. The Frenchman and Spaniard opened a lead of over a minute on the yellow jersey as they began the climb of the Col de Calaison.
Fraile dropped Alaphilippe on the Cote de Peille and the Spanish trio of Marc Soler, Gorka Izagirre and David de la Cruz set off from the 28 chasers after their compatriot on what would turn into the race winning move.
Izagirre dropped back to the yellow jersey group, while De la Cruz and Soler joined Fraile on the front with 42km to go and a 1'24" advantage - making the Movistar man the virtual overall leader.
Over the Col d'Eze - the penultimate climb of the day - Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) was working on the front of the chasing yellow jersey group for Yates and holding the breakaway at 55-seconds.
As race progressed up the Col des Quatre Chemins, Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) attacked the yellow jersey group. Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida), Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), Dylan Teuns (BMC) and Richard Carapaz (Movistar) followed him but Yates was evidently struggling on the 7% gradient. Meanwhile, at the front, Soler was struggling to stay with Fraile and De la Cruz.
Both Gorka and Ion crashed on the slippery descent of Col des Quatre Chemins and with that their 10-second advantage over Yates disappeared. The Bahrain-Merida riders remounted but not before Yates had already passed them.
Fraile had briefly dropped De La Cruz and Soler but the front three were back together as they entered the final 5km.
It was incredibly close between De la Cruz and Fraile in the sprint to the line, but the Team Sky man took it, with Soler rolling over the line in third with enough of a time gap to claim his first stage race title.
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| Marc Soler finished third in the same stage in 2017 Photo credit: liberation.fr |
While Mitchelton-Scott and Bahrain-Merida worked hard at the front of the yellow jersey group to pull back the gap to under a minute, the trio of Spaniards held firm in very treacherous wet conditions in the south of France.
De la Cruz out sprinted Fraile to win on the Promenade des Anglais for the second year in a row, as Soler sat up knowing his battle was for general classification and not the stage.
Soler, who was 37-seconds down on Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) as the start of the day, ended up beating the Brit by four seconds overall.
The Race
The unseasonably soaking wet 110km course took in six classified climbs around Nice and promised a fast, furious and perilous race, but it took 20km for a large group of riders to try and breakaway.
An initial attack of 24 riders containing race leader Yates became three on the Cote de Chateauneuf - Alaphilippe, Fraile and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) - before a crash for Fuglsang meant he couldn't hang on at the front and rejoined the 28 chasers some 40-seconds behind. The Frenchman and Spaniard opened a lead of over a minute on the yellow jersey as they began the climb of the Col de Calaison.
Fraile dropped Alaphilippe on the Cote de Peille and the Spanish trio of Marc Soler, Gorka Izagirre and David de la Cruz set off from the 28 chasers after their compatriot on what would turn into the race winning move.
Izagirre dropped back to the yellow jersey group, while De la Cruz and Soler joined Fraile on the front with 42km to go and a 1'24" advantage - making the Movistar man the virtual overall leader.
Over the Col d'Eze - the penultimate climb of the day - Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) was working on the front of the chasing yellow jersey group for Yates and holding the breakaway at 55-seconds.
As race progressed up the Col des Quatre Chemins, Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) attacked the yellow jersey group. Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida), Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), Dylan Teuns (BMC) and Richard Carapaz (Movistar) followed him but Yates was evidently struggling on the 7% gradient. Meanwhile, at the front, Soler was struggling to stay with Fraile and De la Cruz.
Both Gorka and Ion crashed on the slippery descent of Col des Quatre Chemins and with that their 10-second advantage over Yates disappeared. The Bahrain-Merida riders remounted but not before Yates had already passed them.
Fraile had briefly dropped De La Cruz and Soler but the front three were back together as they entered the final 5km.
It was incredibly close between De la Cruz and Fraile in the sprint to the line, but the Team Sky man took it, with Soler rolling over the line in third with enough of a time gap to claim his first stage race title.
Stage Eight Result
1. David de la Cruz (Team Sky)
2. Omar Fraile (Astana) at same time
3. Marc Soler (Movistar) at 3"
4. Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 38"
5. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal)
6. Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)
7. Dylan Teuns (BMC)
8. Richard Carapaz (Movistar)
9. Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida)
10. Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) all same time
Final General Classification
1. Marc Soler (Movistar) in 30-22-41
2. Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) at 4"
3. Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) at 14"
4. Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) at 16"
5. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) at 16"
6. Dylan Teuns (BMC) at 32"
7. Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 44"
8. Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R) at 1'54"
9. David de la Cruz (Team Sky) at 2'15"
10. Felix Grossschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 2'35"
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