Cycling: Wiggins takes Paris-Nice lead

The Team Sky rider, Bradley Wiggins, became Britain’s the Paris-Nice leader (AP)

Bradley Wiggins yesterday became Britain's first leader of the Paris-Nice stage race since David Millar won the prologue in 2007.

The Team Sky rider powered into a 21-man move – crucially not containing the race leader, Gustav Larsson of Sweden – when the bunch shattered in strong crosswinds.

After snatching a three-second time bonus mid-stage, Wiggins' group opened a gap of more than two minutes over Larsson by the finish, where Belgian Classics star Tom Boonen took the 100th win of his career. Wiggins leads by six seconds over Boonen.