Paris-Nice starts season rolling as Bradley Wiggins and co seek pace

As the professional cycling season moves inexorably towards being a year-round globalised business, the days when the Paris-Nice marked the beginning of serious hostilities are gone, but the start of the Race to the Sun still seems like a watershed. After this week's trek south through France ends next Sunday, the European season picks up a breathless pace through the one-day Classic season, which lasts until the start of the Giro d'Italia on 7 May. The 2010 winner Alberto Contador has opted to race in Spain and Portugal at the start of this season, as he pursues his defence against his positive drugs test in last year's Tour de France. In Central Italy, Cadel Evans, Fabian Cancellara and Mark Cavendish race next week in the Tirreno-Adriatico, the seven-day Race of the Two Seas that is used by those building form for the first Classic of the year, Milan-San Remo on 19 March. With a view to July and the Tour, the form of Fränk Schleck, Levi Leipheimer, Bradley Wiggins and Alexander Vinokourov will be scrutinised, but sometimes Paris-Nice throws up a prospect from leftfield, and this year's could be the American Tejay van Garderen. Not exactly an unknown, but a man waiting for a defining moment, however, is Nicolas Roche of Ireland, whose father Stephen launched his career by winning in Nice 30 years ago. Wiggins leads a strong squad from Team Sky, including his fellow Olympian Geraint Thomas, and, in spite of his relative lack of racing this year, he was happy to talk up his prospects after a strong performance in the recent track World Cup at Manchester. "This winter has all been about preparing for Paris-Nice as I wanted to hit the ground running this year. I've found a balance and had the best winter I've ever had. The route is good for me. There is no prologue so the pressure is off, there's a mid-race time trial with two days to go and there's no summit finish, although it always throws up a tough day or two. We have a strong squad so I will aim to be in contention going into the time trial and then see what happens." Besides Contador's doping case – he has been cleared but an appeal may be pending from the International Cycling Union or World Anti-Doping Agency – another undercurrent this season is the bitter dispute between teams and the governing body over a ban on radio communications between riders and team cars. The teams are threatening "drastic action" later in the season if the issue is not resolved, and Paris-Nice may well see negotiations on that front as well.