Paris Nice , la popolare corsa a tappe francese che fa da preludio alla Milano Sanremo inizia oggi con un cronoprologo di 6,1km da Cofians-Sainte-Honorine. E' la prima grande gara a tappe della stagione 2016 in Europa, con un calendario ormai globalizzato ed i corridori che stanno gareggiando già da due mesi, un esempio su tutti il Tour de San Luis , in Argentina che si è terminato 42 giorni fa con un Parterre de Roi davvero incredibile. E non lo è da meno questo 74° edizione della Paris Nice che vede ai nastri di partenza tre vincitori delle passate edizioni : Richie Porte (2013, 2015), Alberto Contador (2007, 2010), Luis Leon Sanchez (2009). Paris - Nice 2015 - 15/03/2015 - Etape 7 - Nice - Col d'Eze - France-Grossi nomi a cui si affiancano Tom Boonen che proprio in questa corsa è riuscito ad aggiudicarsi ben sei tappe e ben 23 corridori che, nella loro carriera hanno vinto una tappa alla Paris Nice, bastino i nomi di Richie Porte, Amael Moinard (BMC), Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Davide Cimolai (Lampre), Tony Gallopin, Thomas De Gendt, André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal), Michael Matthews, Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge), Alberto Contador, Matteo Tosatto (Tinkoff), Marcel Kittel, Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quick Step), Arthur Vichot (FDJ), Luis Leon Sanchez, Lars Boom, Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), Tom-Jelte Slagter, Andrew Talansky (Cannondale), Sylvain Chavanel, Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Remy Di Gregorio (Delko Marseille Provence). Paris-Nice 2015 - 12/03/2015 - Etape 4 - Varennes sur Allier - Croix de Chaubouret - 204 Km - France -Dei 176 partenti, ahimè solo 8 sono gli italiani. Un gradino sopra tutti gli altri metto Davide Cimolai (Lampre - Merida) , non solo per l'amicizia con il corridore veneto ma soprattutto perchè Cimo lo scorso anno vinse la quinta tappa proprio qui alla Paris Nice da Saint-Etienne a Rasteau, battendo in volata fior di velocisti del calibro di Matthews, Bouhanni e Kristoff. Parigi Nizza 2015 - 5a tappa Saint-tienne - Rasteau, 192.5 km - 13/03/2015 - Davide Cimolai (Lampre - Merida) - foto PhotoNews/BettiniPhoto©2015Per gli sprint ci sarà da tenere d'occhio anche il ligure Niccolò Bonifazio(Trek - Segafredo) mentre Jacopo Guarnieri (Katusha) e Fabio Sabatini (Etixx - QuickStep) avranno di ruolo di apripista per le volate dei loro rispettivi capitani, Kittel e Kristoff. Il piemontese Diego Rosa (Astana) è l'uomo da tenere d'occhio per la Classifica Generale, lui e Luis Leon Sanchez partiranno con i gradi di capitano della formazione kazaka. A completare la ristrettissima rosa di italiani al via ci saranno Matteo Bono (Lampre - Merida) e Matteo Tosatto (Tinkoff) . A questo punto non resta che augurare a tutti i corridori un grande in bocca al lupo con un Forza Azzurri , pochi ma buoni, si spera ! Paris - Nice 2015 - 09/03/2015 - Etape 1 - Saint - Remy - les - Chevreuse - Contres - France-ENGLISH TEXT :The 74th edition of Paris Nice starts today with a 6-km prologue in the streets of Conflans Ste Honorine which will already give an indication on the form of the leading favourites.23 FORMER STAGE WINNERS IN THE PELOTONThe official start list was published with a total of 175 riders starting Sunday’s prologue. Team Lotto-Soudal will only start with seven riders after sick Marcel Sieberg was forced out. Three former winners are in contention –– Richie Porte (2013, 2015), Alberto Contador (2007, 2010), Luis Leon Sanchez (2009). Twenty-three riders have won at least a stage in the Race to the Sun, the largest haul coming from Tom Boonen, with six past wins. The past stage winners are: Richie Porte, Amael Moinard (BMC), Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Davide Cimolai (Lampre), Tony Gallopin, Thomas De Gendt, André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal), Michael Matthews, Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge), Alberto Contador, Matteo Tosatto (Tinkoff), Marcel Kittel, Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quick Step), Arthur Vichot (FDJ), Luis Leon Sanchez, Lars Boom, Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), Tom-Jelte Slagter, Andrew Talansky (Cannondale), Sylvain Chavanel, Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Remy Di Gregorio (Delko Marseille Provence). Paris - Nice 2015 - 09/03/2015 - Etape 1 - Saint - Remy - les - Chevreuse - Contres - France-A SIX-KILOMETRE MOMENT OF TRUTHThe Paris Nice opener in Conflans Ste Honorine is more than just a warm-up stage for a week of racing. The six-kilometre course in the lovely town by the river Seine has what it takes to start sorting the peloton and to play a role in the final decision one week ahead in Nice. Race director Francois Lemarchand warned the riders against taking this prologue lightly: “It is a town circuit designed to take advantage of the beauty of the river banks for the first two kilometres. Then there is a sharp change of rhythm with a short and hard climb requiring swift recuperation. Because behind it lie four kilometres that will be a real test of strength and power. It really is a course for in-form riders. In my opinion, there could already be a gap of some 20 seconds between the winner and the tenth-placed rider at the finish. It’s not huge but it’s a gap that will need to be bridged by the riders looking for final victory. And a rider finishing 40th might well consider he has the race lost. I can see Tom Dumoulin win this. Or Contador, why not? It would be a sign he’s in great form.” Paris - Nice 2015 - 15/03/2015 - Etape 7 - Nice - Col d'Eze - France-YVON LEDANOIS: “ROHAN WAS IN NO CONDITION TO RACE”BMC team director Yvon Lendaois told letour.fr that Rohan Dennis, a strong favourite for Sunday’s prologue of Paris Nice , was in no condition to tale part because of a serious sinusitis. “Rohan called me to tell me he didn’t feel good and it was soon obvious that in was no condition to compete. It was useless insisting. When you’re sick, you’re sick,” he said. Talking about title-holder Richie Porte, who joined from Sky this season and won the race twice in 2003 and 2015, Ledanois said it was difficult to assess his form. “With Richie, it’s not easy to tell where he stands. I’m not saying he can’t win Paris Nice. I’m saying that we hired him for the Tour and in the past he left lots of energy in the early season races like Paris-Nice or the Tour of Catalunya. We shifted his schedule a bit.” Paris - Nice 2015 - 11/03/2015 - Etape 3 - Saint - Amand - Montrond - Saint - Pourcain - sur - Sioule - France -SYLVAIN CHAVANEL: “ALWAYS DELIGHTED TO START PARIS NICE ”Called by letour.fr, Diect Energie team leader Sylvain Chavanel said he was tackling Paris Nice with an unchanged motivation 15 years after his first participation in the Race to the Sun. With a win behind him in Etoile de Besseges this season, the veteran French rider reminded he had often done well in Paris Nice starters: “Last year in Maurepas I finished seventh. I also remember that the year Damien Gaudin won, I finished second in the same second. I’m always delighted to start Paris Nice. I’m always eager to start the season well because the classics come soon after. I like time trials and that’s why I’m confident. The result is not so important, I mean to spend a good week even if it only starts clicking in the later part of the race.” Paris - Nice 2015 - 10/03/2015 - Etape 2 - ZooParc de Beauval - Saint - Aignan - Saint - Amand - Montrond - France -LIVE IN COLOMBIAThe images of the 2016 Paris Nice will be shown by 28 broadcasters, covering a total of 170 countries. Among them, Colombia will for the first time have live coverage of the race via Caracol TV. Three Twitter accounts will offer a live coverage of the race, the main new account www.twitter.com/parisnice as well as the Radio Tour accounts available in two languages www.twitter.com/radiotour_FR, and www.twitter.com/radiotour_EN Official Teaser - Paris-Nice 2016 di tourdefrance