AG2R to chase stage wins at Paris-Nice after Ben O'Connor is forced to leave the race

At the start of today's Paris-Nice two high-profile names have not taken to the start, one of them being defending champion Max Schachmann and the other being AG2R Citroën Team leader Ben O'Connor who had done a very good race so far.

The 26-year old Australian has abandoned the French race due to flu symptoms. He has so far been riding a strong race, well supported by the team on stage two's crosswinds and well within contention for the overall classification. His recovery time should be short and he will be eyeing the Volta a Catalunya with good form which starts in less than two weeks. "Ben O'Connor is feverish and his condition does not allow him to continue such a demanding event as Paris-Nice. In consultation with the team's medical manager, we have decided to withdraw him from the race. It is of course a blow because Ben has shown good form since the start of the race, and had concrete ambitions for the general classification;" team general manager Vincent Lavenu has said this morning.

"With Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Clément Champoussin, we still have the necessary assets for the team to continue to be a player in Paris-Nice," he concluded. Although Champoussin has not lost time on the overall classification towards many of his rivals, today's time-trial and the future ascent of the Col de Turini are not suited to his attributes, whilst Paret-Peintre has shed 38 seconds in the wind-swept stage two.

The team is additionally having Oliver Naesen, Stan Dewulf and Dorian Godon who should now have the freedom to hunt for stages in the breakaways, in which stage six is an ideal course for the classics block.