Cav' Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 Almost forgot to start the Paris Nice Thread. Stage 1Bois-d'Arcy / Bois-d'Arcy http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/100/PROFIL.pngA relatively boring flat stage with a potentially tricky finish.Stage 2Rochefort-en-Yvelines / Amilly http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/200/PROFIL.pngAnother boring flat stage, this time with a straightforward finish.Stage 3Chablis / Chalon-sur-Saônehttp://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/300/PROFIL.pngMore flat roads.Stage 4Beaujeu / Mont Brouillyhttp://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/400/PROFIL.pngProbably the first interesting stage and a very important one for the final GC, an ITT with the finish on Mont Brouilly, as an apology for last year's debacle when the stage to Mont Brouilly was cancelled due to snow. Mont Brouilly is 3km at 7.7%, but it is a very irregular climb which alternates flat sections with extremely steep ones. This is the profile provided last year:http://cdn.cyclingstage.com/images/paris-nice/2016/stage-3-mont-brouilly.pngInterestingly, the stats are a bit different, but in last year's route details the climb is also listed as 3km at 7.7%.I wonder what TT set-up the riders will use. Will someone dare to go for a bike switch or will we see the riders on road bikes with TT bars? I remember that at last year's Vuelta al Pais Vasco ITT, Magnus Bäckstedt criticized Nairo Quintana's bike switch, saying that you'd need at least 10km of flat to have a net gain. Well, how interesting that there are just over 10 flat kilometers before the climb.Stage 5Quincié-en-Beaujolais / Bourg-de-Péagehttp://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/500/PROFIL.pngLots of up and down in the first part of the stage but still likely to end in a sprint.Stage 6Aubagne / Fayencehttp://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/600/PROFIL.pngA very demanding stage, with the Col de l'Espigoulier (8.9km/5.6%) right after the start and then at the end a combination of the 1st-category Col de Bourigaille with a short, steep finish in Fayence. As if this wasn't demanding enough on it's own, the organizers decided this should be a circuit, so we have two sides of the Bourigaille included (first time 5.5km/6.1%, second time 8.1km/5.9%) and the riders will pass the finish twice. The parcours definitely invites attacks from further out from those who lost time in the ITT, but with two tough days to come, the GC favorites might let it come down to an explosive battle up the final hill (1.3km/9.8%). I think there is a high chance the victory will go to someone from the break.Stage 7Nice / Col de la Couillolehttp://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/700/PROFIL.pnghttp://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/700/PROFILCOLSCOTES_2.pngThe queen stage of this year's race which will likely decide the outcome. In a very bold move, the organizers included the Col de la Couillole, the highest point ever for Paris-Nice, but remembering last year's race we can't be sure it will actually be climbed. For the sake of this race preview, let's assume the weather gods behave and we will see a big battle. Couillole is extremely tough, especially for this time of the year, with 15.7km at 7.1%, but the combination with the Col Saint-Martin (7.5km/7.2%) makes it truly epic. Likely, we will see the GC favorites battle for the stage and the yellow jersey.Stage 8Nice / Nicehttp://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/800/PROFIL.pngAfter stage 7, the general classification will have been more or less sorted out, but this final stage, the classic Col d'Eze stage, still presents one last opportunity for those who dare to take a risk. Last year, we saw Alberto Contador attack with over 50km to go on the Côte de Peille (6.5km/6.9%) to find 15 seconds to claim the yellow jersey. He knows this stage like no other, he managed to win this stage and the GC with an attack from far out in 2007. He was ultimately unsuccessful last year but it was a battle all the way to the line. Hopefully, we'll witness another thriller this year.
Cav' Posted March 5, 2017 Author Posted March 5, 2017 Crazy stage today, as indicated by others in the Spring Classics thread.
'Dale Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 The Classics thread was hijacked Good going, Cav' Gotta have a dedicated discussion for The Race To The Sun ????
Cav' Posted March 5, 2017 Author Posted March 5, 2017 Stage results: 1DÉMAREArnaudFDJ3:22:432ALAPHILIPPEJulianQuick-Step Floors,,3KRISTOFFAlexanderTeam Katusha - Alpecin0:094GILBERTPhilippeQuick-Step Floors,,5HARDYRomainFortuneo - Vital Concept,,6MARTINDanielQuick-Step Floors,,7GALLOPINTonyLotto Soudal,,8HALLERMarcoTeam Katusha - Alpecin,,9HENAOSergio LuisTeam Sky,,10MOLARDRudyFDJ,,11KORENKristijanCannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team0:1912IZAGIRREGorkaMovistar Team,,13GREIPELAndréLotto Soudal0:3714LAMPAERTYvesQuick-Step Floors,,15GUARNIERIJacopoFDJ,,16PORTERichieBMC Racing Team0:4717ZAKARINIlnurTeam Katusha - Alpecin,,18WALLAYSJelleLotto Soudal0:5219BARGUILWarrenTeam Sunweb1:0320CONTADORAlbertoTrek - Segafredo1:0421FORMOLODavideCannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team,,22IZAGIRREIonBahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team,,23YATESSimonORICA-Scott,,24ERVITIImanolMovistar Team1:1125BAUERJackQuick-Step Floors1:1426KITTELMarcelQuick-Step Floors1:1727CHAVANELSylvainDirect Energie1:2828MARTINTonyTeam Katusha - Alpecin,,29DE LA CRUZDavidQuick-Step Floors1:3430KNEESChristianTeam Sky1:5731BAKLars YttingLotto Soudal,,32ROCHENicolasBMC Racing Team,,33BYSTRØMSven ErikTeam Katusha - Alpecin,,34BENNETTSamBora - Hansgrohe2:0335ROWELukeTeam Sky2:0536KRUIJSWIJKStevenTeam LottoNL-Jumbo2:28
Cav' Posted March 5, 2017 Author Posted March 5, 2017 The Classics thread was hijacked Good going, Cav' Gotta have a dedicated discussion for The Race To The Sun I really grinds my gears if people post races in the wrong categories.
Cav' Posted March 5, 2017 Author Posted March 5, 2017 GC:1DÉMAREArnaudFDJ103:22:332ALAPHILIPPEJulianQuick-Step Floors 0:043KRISTOFFAlexanderTeam Katusha - Alpecin 0:154GILBERTPhilippeQuick-Step Floors 0:165GALLOPINTonyLotto Soudal 0:176HARDYRomainFortuneo - Vital Concept 0:187MARTINDanielQuick-Step Floors 0:198HALLERMarcoTeam Katusha - Alpecin ,,9HENAOSergio LuisTeam Sky ,,
'Kaze Pete Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bardet-disqualified-from-paris-nice/ Free rides back to the peloton are coming to an end, just like sticky bottles...
'Dale Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 A tale of two Frenchies today hey Glory for the ArnaudEarly exit for Bardet
GrumpyOldGuy Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bardet-disqualified-from-paris-nice/ Free rides back to the peloton are coming to an end, just like sticky bottles...Yah, I am a bit of a Paris-Nice fan so I will be watching with interest. I think it was a foregone conclusion he would be disqualified, even he knew it at the end, it was a blatant infringement, he could never have gotten away with it.
Frosty Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 I said it on the Classic's thread, and I'll repeat it here... that moment when Chavanel got dropped - I know that feeling... don't have to be a pro to know that feeling.
'Dale Posted March 6, 2017 Posted March 6, 2017 The first stage was reminiscent of a Classics race Beautiful racing
'Dale Posted March 6, 2017 Posted March 6, 2017 http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/PNC/2017/200/PROFIL.pngStage 2's painfest
'Dale Posted March 6, 2017 Posted March 6, 2017 The Route: 195km and featureless. You might hope to read of something special along the way – tomorrow’s preview will be more enlightening – but here the terrain is simply unremarkable as the race proceeds past France’s vast cereal fields, the land where all those baguettes begin. But they harvest another thing in this region: the wind. There are wind turbines dotted across the landscape, testimony to the exposed terrain.The race heads in a general south-east direction but with 60km to go it bends north and then begins a circuit, they cross the finish line with 31km to go before continuing for a loop on exposed roads.
'Dale Posted March 6, 2017 Posted March 6, 2017 More super racing forecasted as there'll be tough weather conditions Weather: wet and windy with a top temperature of 9°C. It won’t be as wild as yesterday but the forecast says a NNW wind at 25km/h gusting to 40km/h which is enough, if the peloton is inclined, to split the bunch again.
Gen Posted March 6, 2017 Posted March 6, 2017 More super racing forecasted as there'll be tough weather conditions Weather: wet and windy with a top temperature of 9°C. It won’t be as wild as yesterday but the forecast says a NNW wind at 25km/h gusting to 40km/h which is enough, if the peloton is inclined, to split the bunch again.I need to check the trek PN lineup..cause if Bert has any chance of making up time he is going to need some strong riders and I don't think they have any there that can do much in the crosswinds .. all focusing on the classics. Edit I see Degenkolb is there and a few other handy riders, question is what the hell happened to them yesterday.. Bert left with no team mates at all to help try close or minimize the gap b.. Nada zilch boggerall
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.