Cav' Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Paris-Nice. For so long the domain of Anquetil, Bobet, Merckx and the other top riders, is now the resting place of 2nd tier GC riders, classic teams and guys not allowed to ride the Tour. Last year, it kind of asked for that, to be honest, with no mountains, a puncheurs paradise, holding true in the podium, Betancur, Costa and Vichot. This year, however, there are some proper mountains, but it still can't attract the kind of field that Tirreno-Adriatico is. Route Prologue Maurepas (6.7km)http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424858995.jpgIn a stunning turn of events, Paris-Nice starts in...Paris with...A prologue? What is this? 2005? Oh right, I missed the memo, they're back en vogue. The race only has five wide corners, so turning won't be an obstacle...why didn't Froome turn up? TT experts in this race include THE TT specialist, Tony Martin, but he doesn't excel quite so much in prologues. Also Tom Dumoulin, hoping to be the best time-triallist to take yellow in Utrecht. We also have Bob Jungels, who is many's tip to be brilliant this year, but wasn't too great in Andalucia. Who else...Talansky, Van Garderen, Porte, Thomas and Kelderman will be hoping to get a lead before the mountains. Stage 1: Saint Rémy les Chevreuse - Contres (192km)http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424859020.jpgThe créme de la créme of sprinters are riding between Italian seas, but the kind of sprinters who do the Giro are here. Giro points winner Bouhanni is trying to take his first Cofidis victory, he'll be sprinting against arch-rival Arnaud Démare, Moreno Hofland, John Degenkolb, Giacomo Nizzolo, Niccolo Bonifazio, Jonas Vangenechten and Yauheni Hutarovich. Stage 2: ZooParc of Beauval Saint-Aignan - Saint-Amand-Montrond (172km)http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424859059.jpgIt's stages like this which make me wish Mario Cipollini was riding. Why? It starts in a zoo, so clearly, he'd turn up dressed as a hippopotamus. Seriously though, we all know the name of Saint-Amand-Montrand from the 2013 Tour, when crosswinds split the field, they may again. The Paris-Nice twitter even said "Beware of crosswinds." Stage 3: Saint-Amand-Montrond - Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule (179km)http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424859142.jpgAnother nailed-on sprint stage. It's the last one, I promise. The road rises almost imperceptibly in the last few hundred metres, enough to hand Degenkolb the win. Stage 4: Varennes-sur-Allier - Col de la Croix de Chaubouret (204 km)http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424859161.jpg http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424859175.jpgAh, mountains. I have missed you. The Col de la Croix de Chaubouret is regular, at 6-7 % the whole way for 10 kilometres, ample time for plenty of attacks. The riders gunning for the win will be Giro podium rider Fabio Aru, Richie Porte, Rafal Majka, Wilco Kelderman and Romain Bardet will be gunning for victory here. Bardet and Porte have form, but the rest are a mystery. This does not decide the overall, not unless the winner can hold their advantage on the Col d'Eze. Stage 5: Saint-Étienne - Rasteau (192km)http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424859182.jpgThe biggest climb of the day, the Col de la Republique, comes immediately after the start, prompting a strong breakaway who lost time on the day before. The rest of the day has a selection of smaller ascents. Stage 6: Vence - Nice (182km) http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Stage-1424859214.jpgForget summit finishes and mountain time-trials, this is the most interesting stage of the race. With six categorised, none lower than 2nd category, anything could happen, a long-range attack, an injection of pace to drop a rival before the Col d'Eze. There is no telling who will win, a break? A reduced peloton? Stage 7: Nice - Col d'Eze (9.6km)http://www.procyclingstats.com/uploads/uploads00001/original/Final%20GC-1424859249.jpgThe Col d'Eze! The tradition! The perfect climb for TTs! The ever-changing gradient! The Irish dominance in the 1980s! The overuse of exclamation marks! The possible time gaps! It was last used in 2013, when Richie Porte, already in yellow, extended his lead on Andrew Talansky.The GC will essentially be decided on three stages, 4,6 and 7. Four will hand the yellow jersey to the winner, 6 and 7 will be all about defence. The Col d'Eze will be the decider.Source: LaVelocipede
Cav' Posted March 3, 2015 Author Posted March 3, 2015 Startlist: Movistar Team* ERVITI Imanol* IZAGIRRE Ion* FERNáNDEZ Rubén* ROJAS José Joaquín* CAPECCHI Eros* HERRADA José* IZAGIRRE Gorka* QUINTANA Dayer FDJ* DéMARE Arnaud* VICHOT Arthur* ROUX Anthony* JEANNESSON Arnold* PICHON Laurent* DELAGE Mickaël* CHAVANEL Sébastien* BONNET William Cofidis, Solutions Crédits* MATé Luis Ángel* BOUHANNI Nacer* LEMOINE Cyril* ROLLIN Dominique* SENECHAL Florian* SOUPE Geoffrey* CHAINEL Steve AG2R La Mondiale* DUMOULIN Samuel* BARDET Romain* BAKELANTS Jan* CHEREL Mikael* GASTAUER Ben* PERAUD Jean-Christophe* VANSUMMEREN Johan* MINARD Sébastien Team LottoNL-Jumbo* KELDERMAN Wilco* HOFLAND Moreno* TJALLINGII Maarten* WYNANTS Maarten* TANKINK Bram* BENNETT George* VAN EMDEN Jos* KRUIJSWIJK Steven Astana Pro Team* BOOM Lars* SANCHEZ Luis Leon* FUGLSANG Jakob* ARU Fabio* TAARAMäE Rein* GRIVKO Andriy* BOZIC Borut* DE VREESE Laurens Etixx - Quick Step* ALAPHILIPPE Julian* BOUET Maxime* MARTIN Tony* BOONEN Tom* KWIATKOWSKI Michal* VANDENBERGH Stijn* TRENTIN Matteo* GOLAS Michal Trek Factory Racing* JUNGELS Bob* ZOIDL Riccardo* VANDEWALLE Kristof* STEEGMANS Gert* RAST Gregory* COLEDAN Marco* NIZZOLO Giacomo* ALAFACI Eugenio
Cav' Posted March 3, 2015 Author Posted March 3, 2015 Team Europcar* COQUARD Bryan* DUCHESNE Antoine* GAUTIER Cyril* GENE Yohann* NAULEAU Bryan* SICARD Romain* TULIK Angelo* VOECKLER Thomas Team Katusha* MACHADO Tiago* KRISTOFF Alexander* SILIN Egor* TROFIMOV Yuri* ŠPILAK Simon* KUZNETSOV Viacheslav* GUARNIERI Jacopo* CHERNETCKII Sergei Lotto Soudal* WELLENS Tim* GALLOPIN Tony* GREIPEL André* HANSEN Adam* DE GENDT Thomas* SIEBERG Marcel* HENDERSON Gregory* BAK Lars Ytting Orica GreenEDGE* KEUKELEIRE Jens* MATTHEWS Michael* YATES Simon* ALBASINI Michael* CLARKE Simon* DOCKER Mitchell* IMPEY Daryl* MEIER Christian BMC Racing Team* VAN GARDEREN Tejay* GILBERT Philippe* MOINARD Amaël* HERMANS Ben* DENNIS Rohan* VELITS Peter* SCHAR Michael* DILLIER Silvan IAM Cycling* REYNES Vicente* CHAVANEL Sylvain* TANNER David* FRANK Mathias* VAN GENECHTEN Jonas* HAUSSLER Heinrich* PINEAU Jérome* DEVENYNS Dries Lampre - Merida* COSTA Mário* COSTA Rui* OLIVEIRA Nelson* VALLS Rafael* PLAZA Rubén* CIMOLAI Davide* BONO Matteo* BONIFAZIO Niccolo Team Cannondale - Garmin* VAN BAARLE Dylan* TALANSKY Andrew* LANGEVELD Sebastian* SLAGTER Tom-Jelte* KING Benjamin* KING Edward* BAUER Jack* HOWES Alex Team Giant - Alpecin* BARGUIL Warren* SINKELDAM Ramon* DEGENKOLB John* DUMOULIN Tom* DE KORT Koen* WAEYTENS Zico* PREIDLER Georg* CURVERS Roy Team Sky* NORDHAUG Lars Petter* THOMAS Geraint* WIGGINS Bradley* SWIFT Ben* PORTE Richie* ROCHE Nicolas* EISEL Bernhard* ROWE Luke Tinkoff - Saxo* POLJANSKI Pawel* KIšERLOVSKI Robert* BRESCHEL Matti* VALGREN Michael* MAJKA Rafal* MøRKøV Michael* ROVNY Ivan* SøRENSEN Chris Anker Bretagne - Séché Environnement* HIVERT Jonathan* FEDRIGO Pierrick* SEPúLVEDA Eduardo* FEILLU Brice* HUTAROVICH Yauheni* GERARD Arnaud* DELAPLACE Anthony* VACHON Florian
ScottCM Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Can't wait, Some strong teams there. AG2R's addition of Jan Bakelants makes them so much more dangerous than before, especially on French soil.
Cav' Posted March 5, 2015 Author Posted March 5, 2015 http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gallery-through-the-years-at-paris-nice Cool Pics of Paris-Nice through the years
tombeej Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Paris-Nice will be shown LIVE on DSTV, starting from this Sunday's prologue. In fact, having a look at the TV schedule for next week, it's going to be a CRACKER. 1. Paris-Nice starts this Sunday and ends next Sunday.2. Tirreno-Adriatico starts on Wednesday - the stages are also being shown live on DSTV.3. The ABSA Cape Epic kicks off next Sunday (15th) with the prologue - also LIVE on DSTV. Lots to watch . Paris-Nice stages:
Cav' Posted March 6, 2015 Author Posted March 6, 2015 That's great from DSTV, especially Tirreno-Adriatico. Most of it is during office hours so I'll have to stream it anyways when I can
Gen Posted March 8, 2015 Posted March 8, 2015 I have a friend that doesn't live to far from where the prologue is.. got some nice pics.. of Martin..[emoji16] lucky bugger..
ScottCM Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 Kwaitkowski is going to be a super star. there is a reason he is the current world champ. That plus his TT ability and the fact that he ain't to bad in the high stuff i think he will become the man to beat in the near future for tour GC's. Luxembourg finally has a GC contender that can TT in Bob Jungles. Still very young though but with this amount of young talent the future of cycling looks good bar another LA type scandal.
'Dale Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 That was a cool prologue Kwee-yah-kof-skee is seemingly being groomed into GC for Etixx
tombeej Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 Kwaitkowski is going to be a super star. there is a reason he is the current world champ. That plus his TT ability and the fact that he ain't to bad in the high stuff i think he will become the man to beat in the near future for tour GC's. Luxembourg finally has a GC contender that can TT in Bob Jungles. Still very young though but with this amount of young talent the future of cycling looks good bar another LA type scandal. Agreed
NotSoBigBen Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 Post #7Thanks man, should take my own advice and READ
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