Defending champion Bobby Julich (Team CSC) roared to victory Sunday in the 4.8km opening prologue of the 64th Paris-Nice on a day he didn’t expect to win.

Runner-up Kashechkin

Photo: Graham Watson

Julich – who enjoyed his best season last year with wins at Paris-Nice, Criterium International and the Tour of Benelux – said earlier this year he wouldn’t be chasing the smaller races, but that could change very quickly.

“This is a surprise win for me today because this was not among my main goals this season,” Julich told reporters. “I only came here to gear up for other objectives later in the year.”

Fourth-placed Contador

Photo: Graham Watson

Emboldened by the sensations of being the defending champion, Julich blitzed the prologue course to win with an average speed of 47.1kph.

“This morning in training I realized I had the legs to achieve something and I decided to seize the opportunity,” Julich said. “I also came here as the title holder with the number one on my back and I wanted to live up to the honor.”

Vaugenerard took eighth

Photo: Graham Watson

Wearing the No. 1 start-bib, Julich showed no signs of jet-lag from the trip back to Europe this week after taking third overall in the Amgen Tour of California.

Julich zipped through the tight course in the Parisian suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux in a winning time of 6 minutes, 7 seconds to score Team CSC’s first victory of the 2006 season by just 0.77 seconds.

Landis just missed the top 10, finishing 11th

Photo: Graham Watson

Julich said he’s eyeing starting both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, where team captain Ivan Basso will be shooting for victory, so he didn’t expect too much from Paris-Nice.

“We’ve changed my schedule for this year. I’ll be helping Ivan at the Giro and Tour, so I’m not really focusing on Paris-Nice or Criterium International, because I’ve already won those,” he said. “Of course, if the circumstances make it possible, I’ll be looking for a good result at the end of the week.”

The win marks the third year in a row a Team CSC rider has won the opening day at Paris-Nice. Last year, Jens Voigt won the opening prologue and, in 2004, ex-CSC rider Jorg Jaksche won an individual time trial.

Team CSC is also gunning for its third consecutive Paris-Nice crown, after winning in 2004 with former rider Jaksche and last year with Julich.

Kazakh sensation Andrey Kashechkin (Liberty Seguros) looked to have the win in the bag when rider after rider couldn’t top his early best time of 6:08.

Prologue specialist Brad McGee (FDJeux) finished just one second off the Kazakh’s pace while Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros), world champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) all came within two ticks of the second hand to Kashechkin.

Tour of California winner Floyd Landis (Phonak) stopped the clocked in 11th at eight seconds slower while Tour prologue winner David Zabriskie (CSC) didn’t look pleased when he came through 27th at 13 seconds back.

Among the other Americans, Christian Vande Velde (CSC) put down an excellent early time that stuck for 20th at 11 seconds slower while Chris Horner (Davitamon-Lotto) was 66th at 19 seconds slower. Jason McCartney (Discovery Channel) was 163rd at 44 seconds off the pace.

Looking to goals later in the season were Christophe Moreau (Ag2r), 67th at 19 seconds, and Yaroslav Popovych (Discovery Channel), 78th at 20 seconds.

Without any summit finishes or a long individual time trial, this year’s Paris-Nice could become a chess match between the top contenders.

The race continues Monday with the 193km stage one from Villemandeur to St-Amand-Montrond, a mostly rolling affair with a few punchy climbs late in the race, including the day’s lone rated climb, a Cat. 3 at 19.5km from the finish.