2018 Paris-Nice, 4/3-11/3

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Sam Bennett has a seriously weak immune system. He can't stop getting sick.

THere si alot of sickness in the race e.g. Kristoff

All of Europe has the flu at the moment, and these guys are in a new town and hotel, every day, and meeting 100s of press, dignitaries and fans..... interrupted by racing to the limit of their physique daily.

I'm wondering how the peloton looks in a couple of days

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Sidenote:

Did anyone notice Cort sitting with the GC guys in the front group, over the last climb today?

As a sprinter/classics hybrid, when guys like Trentin, Degenkolb, Viviani and Demare can't hack it, but Cort still can, that gives him an entirely new dimension, and a wider range of races to go for.

He is going to be one to watch in the ardennes classics

Oh, and on a purely national note.... When the peloton started the final climb, I saw 6 danes in the top 20 going in..... warms my heart, how well our boys are riding at the moment .

Trentin is not a worse climber than Cort. Just look at yesterday's stage. They are pretty similar. Along with Colbrelli, those three form the bridge between hardier sprinters like Kristoff or Degenkolb and heavier punchers like GVA and Sagan.

And he can only win a conservative version of Amstel. Brabantse Pijl is a more realistic goal if we talk hilly races. He has a better shot at the cobbled classics, most likely something like Gent-Wevelgem.

But Cort hasn't really proved that he is a rider who can go into breakaways or smaller groups which is important in the classics. At least Colbrelli and Trentin are able to do so.

Trentin didn't make it over in the first group yesterday, Cort did, which was my point.... and had the Astana guys not backed off when Sanchez went, he would probably have won it on the line, in that group, which would then not have been caught.

Also, I find it odd you say he can't go in a breakaway, which is needed for the Ardennes classics (where they usually go away on the climbs) when that is exactly what happened yesterday, when Alaphillippe started the show

Last, and not least, the lack of positioning you talk of, is exactly why he made it across in the first group yesterday.... he went into the climb, as one of the first 10 (and yes, I realise it's different than positioning yourself for a sprint, but the headgame is the same).

Now, please don't get me wrong, he is not going to win a steep uphill finish, against Valverde or Alaphillippe, that is not what I am getting at.... but if that climb is 2+ K from the finish line, he is good enough to stay with them, or close to them, up the climb, and then beat them on the line.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Interesting and wide open time trial, although I kinda think Alaphillipe will smash it.

Do you think it's hilly enough for him to fight the likes of Sanchez, Wellens, Poels, Izagirre and even Gallopin?

As you said, it looks pretty open. We might have a nice edition this year again.

I don't think the profile tells the true story. It's definitely a very hilly and technical ITT and it should suit Alaphilippe very well.

Thanks for the heads up, I don't really know how to apprehend this TT route. If it's hilly and technical as you say, then Balaphilippe could rank pretty great.
Probably not like last year but, if close, he might have a shot at a top 3. It seems like he has been improving in higher/longer hills.

A danish cycling media described the stage more or less like this:

"The first 8 K is a gradual climb, with an average 3,5 % gradient, then a moderately technical decent, then a few K flat, but with 4 K to go, there is a 1 K climb of 8 %, with quite technical decent, before the roll-in to the finish."

 

[Samamba]

1. Gallopin
2. Alaphilippe
3. Ion
4. Poels
5. De La Cruz

 

[Charon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSIwiTYCBck

definitly hilly

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Mollema is a bit underrated here, I think.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Fuglsang looking decent, will be interesting to see Herrada's intermediate.

 

[RedheadDane]

"J. Herrada"
Well, that's useful...

Damn!
Well, time to give some information to Sanchez.

 

[Samamba]

De La Crush crushing everyone at the first intermediate

 

[Krokro]

De la Cruz is a monster. I discovered his TT ability at Ruta del Sol. Is that because it's hilly or has he developed a huge engine over Sky? I've always thought he was a lightweight climber.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Pantano provisionally 3rd... either this time trial is better suited to climbers than I thought or Pantano has dramatically improved. Not that he was bad, but this is even better than normally

 

[Samamba]

Raining hard now...

 

[portugal11]

Re:

De La Crush crushing everyone at the first intermediate

"Marginal gains"

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

De la Cruz is a monster. I discovered his TT ability at Ruta del Sol. Is that because it's hilly or has he developed a huge engine over Sky? I've always thought he was a lightweight climber.

We're talking about Sky here. Everyone tt's better at Sky . Marginal gains and all

Raining hard now...

Well that sucks, another TT ruined by the weather. Guess DLC wins the TT

 

[markene2]

Not great conditions now at the finish

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Skippo12:

What you don't seem to understand is, that it was Sanchez's choice to make, and he clearly did not go for the stage win.

He could have easily forced the others to take turns, or taken a shot to get away from them, but it would probably have cost him 30 seconds on the peloton.

As such, this is not a moral issue, as Sanchez made the choice himself, to ride the way he did, with the priorities he had.

I completly understand this...it is pretty obvious because he set a consistent pace for the last kms. I can still be unhappy with the result and voice my opinion.

Just seems illogical to me.... kinda like arguing Lars Bak should win, not Greibel, because he did all the hard work.

Sanchez could have easily beaten both his compatriots, everyone knows that, but it would have cost him a once in a lifetime GC opportunity, so why begrudge a guy from another team, for which this will be the biggest win of the season, most probably, that he plays it smart and gets the job done, for his employer?

Twice in a lifetime.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

Pantano provisionally 3rd... either this time trial is better suited to climbers than I thought or Pantano has dramatically improved. Not that he was bad, but this is even better than normally

Pantano has been decent at hilly TT in the past. He probably didn't do good in races where he knew he had to give it all for Bertie.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

De la Cruz is a monster. I discovered his TT ability at Ruta del Sol. Is that because it's hilly or has he developed a huge engine over Sky? I've always thought he was a lightweight climber.

Don't think so. He was 5th and 6th in the Pais Vasco and Paris Nice time trials last year, respectively.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Bad intermediate by Mollema, only 20th +36s
Simon Yates does a lot better, 2nd at 12s

 

[markene2]

I hope that Sanchez smokes this

 

[Krokro]

Re: Re:

De la Cruz is a monster. I discovered his TT ability at Ruta del Sol. Is that because it's hilly or has he developed a huge engine over Sky? I've always thought he was a lightweight climber.

Don't think so. He was 5th and 6th in the Pais Vasco and Paris Nice time trials last year, respectively.

Okay, I think I just did not pay enough attention to his results then. I still think that Poels should destroy this!

 

[Samamba]

Sky :lol:
Poels is just...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ok, Poels just destroyed everyone

 

[Laplaz]

Sky skinsuit doing wonders

 

[Valv.Piti]

Lmao Poels. Insane.