Ireland’s Nicolas Roche has finished sixth in the first stage of the Paris-Nice race.
Roche was beaten to the line by New Zealand’s Greg Henderson, riding for the British-based Team Sky.
The 33-year-old Kiwi, a gold medal winner at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, edged Slovenia's Grega Bole in a sprint finish to clinch first place. Roche was credited with the same time as both riders.
But Henderson could not do enough to take the yellow jersey from Sunday’s prologue stage winner, Rabobank's Dutch rider Lars Boom.
France's Romain Feillu and The Netherlands' Albert Timmer led the peloton for most of the stage before fading away after 146 kilometres of the 201-kilometre course.
Spain's two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador crossed the line despite falling three kilometres from the end.
Fellow challengers Pierre Rolland and Levi Leipheimer also took a tumble but both managed to recover to finish the stage.
The second stage will be held between Contres and Limoges on Tuesday.
Provisional result of the 201.5-km first stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race from Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines to Contres on Monday.
1. Greg Henderson (New Zealand / Team Sky) 4:22:17"
2. Grega Bole (Slovenia / Lampre) Same time
3. Jeremie Galland (France / Saur - Sojasun) "
4. Alexandr Kolobnev (Russia / Katusha) "
5. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne) "
6. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / AG2R) "
7. Jens Voigt (Germany / Saxo Bank) "
8. Marco Marcato (Italy / Vacansoleil) "
9. Tony Martin (Germany / HTC - Columbia) "
10. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic / Liquigas) "
