69th Paris-Nice 2011~March 6 to 13 (WT) 1.307k

[DAOTEC]

La Course au Soleil

Paris-Nice organiser ASO has: [cyclingnews.com/paris-nice-2011-route-unveiled]

Website: {http://letour.fr/2011/PNC/COURSE.html]

Stages
1) Houdan - Houdan 154.5k
2) Montfort l’Amaury - Amilly 198.5k
3) Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire - Nuits-Saint-Georges 202.5k
4) Crêches-sur-Saône - Belleville 191k
5) Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise - Vernoux-en-Vivarais 194k^^ > [MAP]
6) Rognes, Aix-en-Provence 27k (ITT) > [MAP]
7) Brignoles - Biot - Sophia Antipolis 215.5k^^ > [MAP]
8) Nice- Nice 124k^ > [MAP]

Teams (22)

- World Teams (18):
AG2R: (Roche, Péraud),
BMC: (Phinney, Moinard),
Euskaltel-Euskadi: (S. Sanchez, Sicard),
HTC-Highroad: (Martin, Van Garderen),
Katusha Team: (Ivanov, Kolobnev),
Lampre-ISD: (Bole, Spilak),
Liquigas-Cannondale: (Sagan, Capecchi),
Leopard Trek: (F.Schleck, B. Feillu),
Movistar: (Tondo, Gutierrez),
Omega Pharma-Lotto: (Van den Broeck),
Astana: (Vinokourov, Kreuziger),
Quick Step: (Chavanel, Steegmans),
Rabobank: (LL. Sanchez, Garate),
Saxo Bank Sungard: (N.Sorensen, Porte),
Sky Procycling: (Wiggins, Rogers),
Garmin-Cervelo: (Haussler, Hesjedal),
RadioShack: (Brajkovic, Leipheimer),
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team: (R. Feillu, Ricco).

- Wild Cards (4)

Europcar: (Voeckler, Rolland),
Bretagne-Schuller: (Calzati, Le Bon),
Cofidis: (Taramae, Dumoulin),
FDJ: (Casar, Fédrigo, Pauriol).

Honor Roll
2001 FRIGO Dario (Ita)
2002 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz)
2003 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz)
2004 Jorg Jaksche (Ger)
2005 Bobby Julich (USA)
2006 Floyd Landis (USA)
2007 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp)
2008 Davide Rebellin (Ita)
2009 Luis Léon Sanchès Gil (Esp)
2010 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp)
Ohh, and please have a close look at the winners of the last decade. !

Race History: [http://fever.com/PNC-was-first-raced-in-1933]

GC - 2010

1. Alberto Contador (Astana) 28h:35m:34s
2. Aléjandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) à 11s
4. Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne) à 25s
3. Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) à 26s
5. Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) à 30s
6. Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank) à 35s
7. Joaquim Rodriguez (Team Katusha) à 37s
8. Reine Taaramae (Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne) à 1:07
9. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Omega Pharma - Lotto) à 1:16
10. Jérôme Coppel (Saur - Sojasun) à 1:17

Stage winners: Alberto Contador, Amaël Moinard, William Bonnet, Xavier Tondo, Peter Sagan (x2), Greg Henderson.

 

[The Hitch]

Vamos SAMU!!!!!

Id say Purito but stage 6 kinda rules him out. LLS perhaps favourite. Maybe Roman. Would like to see what the Geox and Vacan boys have to offer.

 

[taiwan]

I can't see past LLS for this one. No, literally, he's standing right in front of the screen. <Going to move please, Luis? Thanks.>

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Based on those profiles it's a pure time triallers race this year.

 

[theyoungest]

Based on those profiles it's a pure time triallers race this year.

Stage 5 has a 7,6 km 8,3 % climb at 10 k from the finish, and the finish itself seems to be uphill as well. Guys like Luis Leon should be able to limit their losses, but it's not only time trialing that's required here.

 

[Havetts]

Not mountainous enough to be too hard for the time trialists . Think LLS makes a hell of a chance though!

 

[theyoungest]

Not mountainous enough to be too hard for the time trialists . Think LLS makes a hell of a chance though!

Yeah, but it's not a pure time trialists race, as the other guy says. I mean, Taylor Phinney won't win the overall.

 

[Winterfold]

I know the climbs on Stage 6 EXTREMELY well, I am pretty amazed the Cote de Cabris is a Cat 1 and then it is another Cat 1 up to Col de Ferrier, I would have said a 2, maybe 1 taken together.

Maybe a Brit did the classification?

I feel a minibreak coming on...

 

[taiwan]

Is anything stopping Peter Sagan taking the overall?

 

[roundabout]

Is anything stopping Peter Sagan taking the overall?

Yes, the TT.

Go Chavanel.

 

[theyoungest]

Is anything stopping Peter Sagan taking the overall?

The TT might be a little too long for him?

 

[The Hitch]

Is anything stopping Peter Sagan taking the overall?

The course. Last year in Romandie, a race he was on peak for, Sagan came 2nd in 4k prologue but not so good in the 22 k tt. 27 k tt will be too long for him.

Also hes not that good a climber that hell be able to mix it with the likes of Purito, Samu, Andrew etc on the climbs.

 

[taiwan]

Ok. yuykjhkjgjhgjgj

 

[theyoungest]

The course. Last year in Romandie, a race he was on peak for, Sagan came 2nd in 4k prologue but not so good in the 22 k tt. 27 k tt will be too long for him.

Also hes not that good a climber that hell be able to mix it with the likes of Purito, Samu, Andrew etc on the climbs.

Andrew? You serious? Fränk maybe, Andrew will happily slumber until April comes a-knocking.

 

[The Hitch]

Andrew? You serious? Fränk maybe, Andrew will happily slumber until April comes a-knocking.

meh. I was just listing climbers whose names arent "Robert Gesink"

 

[Lanark]

meh. I was just listing climbers whose names arent "Robert Gesink"

Well, why didn't you mention Mollema then?

 

[theyoungest]

Well, why didn't you mention Mollema then?

Exactly. He will actually ride, Bobby G won't

 

[The Hitch]

Well, why didn't you mention Mollema then?

who? ............

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I know the climbs on Stage 6 EXTREMELY well, I am pretty amazed the Cote de Cabris is a Cat 1 and then it is another Cat 1 up to Col de Ferrier, I would have said a 2, maybe 1 taken together.

Maybe a Brit did the classification?

I feel a minibreak coming on...

The categories are based on within the race they're in though; Paris-Nice doesn't tend to go over mountains of the Grand Tours. Cabris would probably be a 2 in the Tour or Dauphiné but is a 1 in Paris-Nice. Montée Laurent Jalabert was a 1 in Paris-Nice last year but a 2 in Le Tour. Otherwise we're saying that the Col d'Èze is deserving of the same categorisation as the Col d'Aspin.

 

[Ferminal]

Stage 5 looks brutal.

 

[ttrider]

Not impressed by the route this year im afraid
not going to live up to 2007-2010,
honestly cant see beyond luis leon
no mtf, no prologue

 

[Ferminal]

Well, if Ricco attacks on stage 5 he will drop LLS by at least 30s. Would make it close for the TT.

 

[Winterfold]

Libertine - thx for the answer - I had always assumed some attempt was made to make them consistent across races, but that explains a lot.

The last 2 stages are not the kind where pure climbers are going to get big gaps on allrounders IMO, the gradients in that area are not super steep and there are plenty of flatter bits between ramps where you can really come back at someone who is a better climber, its not relentless like the high Alps.

There are also quite a few seconds to be gained on the descents by the expert descenders.

 

[theyoungest]

Libertine - thx for the answer - I had always assumed some attempt was made to make them consistent across races, but that explains a lot.

The last 2 stages are not the kind where pure climbers are going to get big gaps on allrounders IMO, the gradients in that area are not super steep and there are plenty of flatter bits between ramps where you can really come back at someone who is a better climber, its not relentless like the high Alps.

There are also quite a few seconds to be gained on the descents by the expert descenders.

That final stage is the same every year, and it usually features some fireworks, but no significant time gaps.

 

[taiwan]

That final stage is the same every year, and it usually features some fireworks, but no significant time gaps.

That leaves stage 5 and and the TT to decide the thing.