Omega Pharma – Quick Step rider Sylvain Chavanel put all his effort into a possible victory at the 3 km Paris-Nice prologue on Sunday. Chavanel earned a 2nd place finish, just one second shy of the win, with the hard work evident by his face in the final meters.

Damien Gaudin (Team Europcar) won the prologue with a time of 3'37". Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM) was 3rd, also one second back from the victor.

Omega-Pharma Quick Step now looks ahead to today’s 195 km first stage of Paris-Nice. Stage 1 is flat, but there are exposed sections that could animate the race if there is a strong wind. There is also a 45 km loop leading into the final sprint at Avenue de Paris.

After the prologue, Chavanel expressed satisfaction with his performance, "I'm satisfied about my race," Chavanel said. "After the finish line, you know, you start thinking about the small things that can change the result. But I think Gaudin deserved this victory. He was really strong. He is a specialist of this kind of race and he is also a good track rider. Today I tried to go for the victory and I'm happy about my performance and the feeling I had along the parcour. Of course it would have been better to start tomorrow with the yellow jersey, but the road to Nice is still long. Paris-Nice is the first real objective of the season for me. I would like to do well and try to win a stage. I think it's the best approach for me prior to the classics."