Rabobank’s versatile young talent upsets favorites in prestigious French stage race opener

Less than two months after he won the 2010 Dutch National Cyclo-cross Championship, Rabobank’s Lars Boom proved his versatility once again, winning the opening prologue time trial stage at Paris-Nice. Boom powered his Giant Trinity Advanced SL team bike through the 8-kilometer course in 10:56, 3 seconds faster than runner-up Jens Voigt of Germany.

With the win, Boom secured the yellow leader’s jersey of the eight-day race, which began Sunday, March 7 in Monfort-l’Amaury, just outside of Paris, and travels south over toward its March 14 finish in Nice.

Known as “The Race to the Sun,” Paris-Nice is viewed as the most important stage race so far this season. Many of the sport’s top stars are competing, including two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who finished fourth in the prologue, 6 seconds off Boom’s winning time.

Rabobank will begin its defense of the yellow jersey in Monday’s Stage 1, a 201.5-kilometer race south from Saint-Arnout-en-Yvelines to Contrest.