So the first day of the cobbles belongs to surprise winner Luca Paolini (Katusha) as the favourites missed out in today's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Paolini and Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) jumped from the leading group of 10 with around 25km's to go and managed to make it stick right to the finish where Paolini outsprinted the Belgian to take the honours. It's worth noting Geraint Thomas finished 4th, just missing out on a podium position - a great start to his transition from the track back to the road and looking good for Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Luca Paolini's win comes at the right time for Katusha, who only recently found themselves back in the WorldTour thanks to their upheld appeal to CAS. Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne tomorrow as the classics continue...

 

 

 

There is reason for Thor Hushovd to be looking so pleased with himself - after what can only be described as a horrific 2012 the God of Thunder has finally found himself on the top step of the podium once again, taking victory on stage 1 of the Tour du Haut Var. It's the Norwegians first win since 2011 and indeed his first with BMC which should provide some relief not only to himself but also team management, after struggling with illness for virtually the whole of the 2012 season. He's no spring chicken at 35 years old, but it's great to see him in form once again - 2012 missed his presence especially in the classics and the Tour de France. He's a strongman and a race-changer. He is certain to provide some entertainment in 2013 and the classics might not be so clear cut for Boonen this year with both Thor and Cancellara back on the war path...

 

 

Terminator, Rambo, Cannibal - these are all nicknames of Peter Sagan and I would say they are all a fair assessment of the man. Frankly, Peter Sagan scares me, well, his talent does anyway. At 23 years old, Sagan has a palmares longer than both of my arms sewn together. As a neo-pro Sagan won the points classification along with stages 3 and 5 at Paris-Nice. I repeat: AS A NEO-PRO. The picture above is from his victory today in Oman and it says it all. His pose says 'meh, what's the problem?', he's barely breaking a sweat. See those riders behind him coughing up their lungs? Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Cadel Evans, Greg Van Avermaet, Phil Glbert. 2013 - Be afraid. Be very afraid...

 

 

 

 

So the Paris-Nice route is out and once again the infamous Col d'Eze is featured - this year it will most likely decide the winner of the race, as it did in 2012 when Bradley Wiggins took victory on this very slope. At 9.6km's the climb averages a mild 6.1% though peaks at around 9% in places - it doesn't sound all that tough, but there will be no jostling for position here because as Frederik Veuchelen displays above, the riders will face this climb alone in one of the toughest 'races of truth' in the modern sport. No slipstreaming, no pace-setting, no wheel-sucking. Just one man, his bike and a 10 kilometre hill. 

 

 

It's not been the best week in cycling - yet another tarred by doping. The week started with the media focus on Dr Fuentes and the Puerto trial, then Frank Schleck got dealt a (rather dubious) 1 year ban for his positive test at last years Tour for a banned diuretic before Michael Rasmussen (photographed) finished the week admitting to an 11 year doping binge in his own words: "I used EPO, growth hormone, testosterone, DHEA, insulin, IGF-1, and cortisone and did blood transfusions." (worryingly beating many anti-doping tests and maintaining a relatively unsuspicious haematocrit level). Fuentes and Rasmussen have both promised to 'name names' which can only be a good thing, but after a long off-season of Armstrong related doping revelations this week only serves to highlight the continued struggle of doping within the sport, just as the season really gets underway. I predict the revelations will roll on throughout the year and cast a shadow across the season darker than Rasmussens tan lines. Same old same old...(PS. Sorry if this picture puts you off your dinner!)