Thomas Voeckler nearly created a big surprise when he nearly stayed away in stage 1 of Paris-Nice.

"With Anthony [Delaplace], I had decided to accelerate in the last 25 kilometers," he told L'Equipe. "But when I saw the flat road with 2km to go, I realized that it would not be possible. We almost thwarted the sprinters' plans. It was a pleasure to be in front, it's good to take the some wind instead of being bored in the bunch. And then, as there was no wind, everybody had it easy. I have an aggressive mindset as my current level is not good enough to compete with the best in the last kilometers, so I need to change my plan. I thought about Paris-Tours (where he was 2nd, ed.). We used the same roads."