The Race to the Sun! For m﷽any this is the true season opener, and the first real test of the top Grand Tour riders. Join us as we kick off in Conflans-Sain𝓡te-Honorine.

The race starts off with a 6🌺.1km ITT which is pancake-flat but has a number of sharp turns. It starts out with a nice run along the Seine River.

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine can boast a famous pro rider, who will be at the start – Nicolas Roche, of Team Sky. He was born here ꦗanꦡd spent part of his childhood here.

The first rider tak🐷es off at 11:42, and the last rider at 14:38. Times of about seven minutes are expected on this short course.

The peloton was surprised to wake up to snow the other day. The weather today should be better, with a high of 8°C, cloudy but only a 10%♋ chance of precipitation.

Certainly it is not possible that the weather forecast could be wrong.... the first photos from the scene showed blue skies and white clouds. Somehow they have turned into numerous dark clouds, which look as if they might have a lot of r🃏ain in them.

If you want to know who is taking part in this race, you can check out 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:our start list here.

Not that many previous winners ܫa💞re here today. Richie Porte (BMC) wearing Nr. 1, won here in 2015 and 2013. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) took the title in 2010. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) won in 2009. All have changed teams since they won.

Remy di🧔 Gregorio (DMP) will be the first to go, 🌺at 11:44.

The course is short🍰 enough that all 175 riders will go off at one-minute intervals. Richie Porte w♍ill be the last rider, at 14:38.

With so many top names taking part in this important race, we thought we would help you know how to watch. Here are our 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:10 riders to watch.

We have started! Di 💃Gr♉egorio is on his way. Next up is fellow Frenchman Pierrick Federigo.

Thomas Voeckler is an early starter here. The Direct Energie rider recently won La Provence, his first win sincওe 2013.

Tom Dumoulin is heading up Giant-Alpecin at Paris-Nice, and is aiming for168澳洲5最新开奖结果: a good overall GC.

E𝔍ight riders have started so far, but we are still waiting for the first finishing time.

Orica-GreenEdge's Michael Matthews is 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:opening his season today. Last year he had four top ten finishes her🔯e and won the fourth stage, which put him in the leader's jersey for a day.

And all of a sudden we have seven riders who have finished! Jos van Emden of Lotto-Jumbo has the🎃 current top time of 7:54.

We have a "new" team in the race today. For Paris-Nice, we no longer have Lotto-Soudal, but Lotto-Fixall! And ꩲthey have changed their jerseys as well, just to add to the general confusion.

With 14 riders in, van Emden still leads. He has seven seconds over his nu♏mber two.

Alberto Contador won here in 2009 and 2010 and skipped the race there after. But he is back again this year, saying "I'm returning ಞto the race that revealed me as a rider, in 2007, and which in some aspects was the springboard for the Tour de France."

Pierre Rolland just took to the course. The Frenchman has moved to Cannonade this year, and is 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:heading up the American team. 

Letour.fr gives us the bad news that rain and thunder♋sto🌜rms may be moving in.

There is all kinds of racing going on today, including the168澳洲5最新开奖结果: UCI Track World Championships in London. Lots of action there today! 

Wilco Kelderman has just shaved two seconds off the best time, knocking🧔 Lo🅷tto-Jumbo teammate van Emden into second place. The new best time is 7:52.

Kelderman is ไDutch time trial champion, so his good time shouldn't be a surprise.

Andܫ we now hear that the 🔜rain has started falling. Perhaps Kellerman's time will hold up!

N🌜iki Terpstra has put in the third best time, six seconds down.

Speaking of other races, yesterday was Strade Bianche, which featured a really thrilling finish. World Champion Peter Sagan was a favourite to win, and he was the one who sparked the decisive move. But 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:his legs lost their power and he finished only fourth. 

50 riders have started and 125 are still to 💖go. But will the weather play a role in the remainder of the stage?

In case you missed the Strade Bianche yesterday -- and shame on you if you did! -- you can catch up on 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:the men's race here. 

The women r꧅aced too, and the World Champion won that race in a  dramatic fashion.&n෴bsp;

And here is 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:the link to the women's race. 

Jerome Coppel (IAM),the French TT champion, no꧅w tops the list. His time of 7:48 is four seconds faster than Kellerman's.

Marcel Kitt𝓰el is c𓆏urrently on the course. The sprinter has certainly seen a major turn-around after changing teams, joining Etixx-QuickStep this year. 

Kittel came in at 8:01,13 seconds down.

Team Sky's Ian Boswell is returning to Paris-Nice after a two-year absence, saying 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:his dream is to ꦉon𒆙e day win the race. 

We talked about Lotjto-Soudal-Fixall, now here are t168澳洲5最新开奖结果:he details. 

Coppel has only done what one might expect 🌼of him. This year he won the ITT at the Etoile des Bessages and went on to win the overall title. He is also not only French national champion but also brought in bronze in the Worlds last year.

Things are still hopping at the Track Worlds, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:read about it here!

We are happy to say 🅷that the sun is shining again at the race! 

88 riders are in, and Coppel still holds the🌃 lead.꧂ 

The UCI is doing a lot of 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:testing for🦹 mechanica🌠l doping at the Track Worlds. They h🔯ave conducted more than 200 tests so𓃲 far, with more to come. 

Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data) had a time of 8:14.

Lotto-Jumbo now has three riders in the top five. German🅘 Paul Martens has put in an excellent time of 7:59 to take fifth place.

Lars Boom of Astana has just zipped in at 7:54, s🦋ix seconds down.

We are starting to see so𝓰me fast times again. Gorda Izaguirre (Mo꧟vistar) is now third at five seconds. 

Kittel is sti𓆏ll tenth, 13 seconds down. Since there are sprint stages coming up, a good placing here might well help him take the yellow jersey in coming stages.

 Nico🌳las Roche, born here, comes to the line 12 seconds down on Coppel. The Team Sky rider hasn't had the perfect start to the season but that's a decent time.

Condition look perfect out there as we seen rides along the riverside. A few speed bumps don't help but the tricky corners are more of an is🎃sue. Jus🌳t as the riders turn away from the river they take a short but sharp climb and so far every rider has taken it out of the saddle. 

Following Tankink rig🌜ht now. 💖The solid domestique isn't too shabby as a time trial rider and picks a few decent lines as former Hour Record holder Brandle comes to the line. Can he take top spot?

No. but it's not bad with 4🌌th at the moment. 

The Lotto Jumbo rider, Tankink, comes to the line but he will not trouble the 🦹leaderboard, 46th on the line. Still over 50 riders yet to start today, including the main GV men. For now Coppel leads Keldermann by four seconds. 

US national champion in the TT, Andrew Talansky comes to the line. The Cannondale rider is💜 7th, eight seconds off the lead. Not too🦋 bad from the American but there are plenty more GC men to come. 

This is a cours🌺e for a real powerhouse, with it's long flat section, and that punchy little climb.&nbsꦏp;

We have a new leader, Herrada, thꩲree second clear of Coppel on the line. 

Former French national🔯 champion Chavanel has started𝔍 his TT. He's getting on a bit but he's found some form at the start of the season and has already won. 

Chavanel hits the climb and the crowds urge him on. ꦍHe's a huge home favourite and he obliges by rising out the saddle and powering to the top. Back on the TT bars and he's onto the flat once more. 

Vanmarcke, with possibly the least-low pro position I've🍸 ever seen🔴, comes over the line with a very good time. He goes 4th at the finish, seven seconds down on Herrada (Movistar).

Here comes Chavanel and this looks very good. The Frenchmanꦫ ꧃moves into second, two seconds off Herrada's pace. 

Herrada still leads with a time of 7'45 with C🥃havanel, Coppel, Keldermann and Vanmarcke in the top five. Westra, who cam close to winning the race a few years ago, is now on the course. 

Where did that come from? Bevin from Cannondale has just posted the fastest ti𝔍me, four seconds cl🦩ear of Herrada. 

28 riders 🦩left to start the TT and Simon Yates is the next man out of the start house.

Westra has been rapid, very rapid but he can't take top spot and slots into third on the li▨ne. Bevin still leads. 

Former world roa✤d race champion Gilbert is next to start. He'll just get this out of the way as it's not a stage for him. The Classics are his major target as we see Majka finish tenth on the line. Expected more from the Giro contender really. 

Bevinꦕ still leads the TT with a time of 7🥀'41 but there are plenty of GC contenders still to come. 

Gilbert hits the climb and he's just rolling through at the moment as Vuillღerm🌺oz struggles home in 70th place. 

ဣNo changes at the top of the leaderboard as Gilbert heads towards the finish. He crashed in Omloop and he's still finding his fe🍬et. He's been caught for a minute.

Dumoulin now on the course and he piඣngs up the climb as if it's not eܫven there. He's the first rider to take most of the climb in his TT position. 

Bevin still l💞eads but can🐼 he hold off the challenge from Dumoulin? 

Contador is off! The💙 Sಞpaniard out of the saddle as he starts his TT. 

LL Sanchez who once won this race and cracked Contador in the process is on the TT course too. The Astaꦿna rider looks to be flying but Contador has the quicker cadence. No time gap▨s on the pair though but here comes Dumoulin.

Top. 🥀The Giant Alpecin rider sets the fastest time by less than a second to go at the top at the leaderboard. Bevin was so close. 

Matthews, who is only just starting his season today, is on the course now. Just a few riders 🔯to go as Thomas is out there now. A big test for 🌃the Sky rider today.

Thomas🀅 hits the climb and is roared on by the French cﷺrowds. 

Bo♔onen comes to the finish. He has stages further dow꧅n the line to concentrate on. 

Contador 🎉comes to the line now and he's set a time of 7'55. 23rd position so nothಌing spectacular for the Spaniard. 

Mat🅰thews is 𝄹flying though and he could move into the top ten here.

He's done it. The Australian beat Dumoulin to go top by ju♉st over half a second. 

Remember this is his first race of the season. Just a few riders left out now as Porte hits the climb. He's won this race twice ꧅before 🧔and is the defending champion. What can he do today?

Gallopin finishes in a time of 7'55, ♕one place ahead ofไ Contador. 

Thomas is heading to the lꦰine now and takes 7th, seven seconds down on Matthews.&n𝕴bsp;

Porte 🦩is putting in a stor🎃ming ride but he's not going to win today.

The BMC rider is 11th, 10 seconds down on Matthews 𒈔and ౠthree seconds slower than Thomas. 

🎐Matthews takes the first yellow jersey of the race after beating Tom Dumoulin in the tim🅠e trial.

1 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:07:39
2 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:07:40
3 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:07:41
4 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team 0:07:45
5 Jon Izaguirre (Spa) Movistar Team 0:07:45
6 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team 0:07:46
7 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:07:46
8 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling 0:07:47
9 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie 0:07:48
10 Jerome Coppel (Fra) IAM Cycling 0:07:48

So Matthews wi💝ns on his first outing of the season, edging out Du♋moulin to wear the first yellow jersey of this year's race. That was a really exciting and close prologue. 

Further down on GC Po💜rte and Thomas both put time in Alberto Contador - as expected perhaps but it sets things up for what should be a really exciting rac𒉰e this week. 

We have full results from today's stage, right here on 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Cyclingnews.

Thanks for joining us today. We'll have photos, and a report from the stage soon. We'll also𝓰 have more live coverage from Paris-Nice tomorrow.