Greipel takes stage win in Paris-Nice

SAINT-AMAND-MONTROND, France: Germany’s Andre Greipel won a sprint finish to the second stage of Paris-Nice cycle race on Tuesday with Polish world champion Michal Kwiatkowski holding onto the leader’s yellow jersey.
In what was a largely straight forward 172-km run down from the ZooParc at Beauval near Paris, the only breakaway bid came from Frenchman Arnaud Gerard.
He kept the lead for 134 km, but was easily reeled in by the peloton setting up the sprint finish.
Greipel dominated that to take the win ahead of Frenchman Arnaud Demare, with another German cyclist John Degenkolb taking third place ahead of Michael Matthews of Australia.
“Paris-Nice is a big race and it usually has quite a few top sprinters,” Greipel said. “I hadn’t competed in it for several years, so I am delighted.
“I was feeling sick for a few days but made a quick recovery because I was already doing well in the Tour of the Algarve (Feb).”
Kwiatkowski said that he had been surprised there had not been more attacks in the race so far but was delighted to be able to hold onto the lead.
The Race to the Sun continues on Wednesday with a 179 km stage from Saint-Amand-Montrond to Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Lloyd Mondory has failed an out-of-competition test for the banned blood-booster EPO, the UCI said on Tuesday, the third positive case involving his AG2r-La Mondiale team in recent years.
“The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that it has notified French rider Lloyd Mondory of an Adverse Analytical Finding of EPO in a sample collected in the scope of an out-of-competition control on 17 Feb. 2015,” the UCI said in a statement.
“In accordance with UCI Anti-doping Rules, the rider has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the affair.”
The AG2r-La Mondiale rider, who could face a two-year ban or be suspended for four years under the new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, has the right to request that his B sample be tested.
Mondory is the third AG2r-La Mondiale rider to fail a dope test in just over two years after Steve Houanard (EPO) and Sylvain Georges (the stimulant heptaminol) in Sept. 2012 and May 2013.
The French World Tour (elite) team suspended themselves for a week in June 2013 under the regulations of the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), a group of teams who agreed to implement anti-doping rules tougher than those of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
MPCC regulations state that a team must suspend themselves from racing for eight days in the case of multiple positive tests in the past 12 months.
Mondory, 32, finished seventh in the Clasica de Almeria this season.
The Astana team, who have been facing multiple positive tests recently, could have their World Tour license withdrawn this month after the UCI recommended its Licence Commission to do so.