Paris - Nice 10 March - 17 March 2019 77th edition

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Note1: Urán is not in the classification... probably swapped bikes with Docker
Note2: Movistar took the right decision yesterday. Soler lost 8:27 in the 5th group

After yesterday he likely was told he can't go for GC anymore, so it's highly likely he had no interest in doing anything except finishing within the time limit and not expend anymore energy than is required.

Yeah, why try to help his captain?

Because he's a climber and would be more useful in the mountains than on a flat road where you need time trailists and cobbled classics guys.

Bernal, Sanchez, and Kwiat look to be the strongest of the GC riders.

 

[Sestriere]

Tomorrow the wind will be a bit weaker and more of a cross-headwind as the peloton continues to travel south. I expect a more or less straight up bunch sprint although the different forecast-models vary slightly in wind direction and speed and you never really know how local conditions might favour echelons again. Here are the maps anyway, stage finish is in Moulins in the bottom-center:

Avg. wind speed:

Gusts:

 

[sir fly]

I believe the Moulins would've not been build up if there wasn't the wind.

 

[search]

Re:

I fell in love with Paris-Nice many years ago and it always keeps delivering. Two phenomenal stages so far, and a great way to start possibly the best stage race in cycling.

Before the start Drucker said that Paris-Nice usually offers exactly what you need to gain the last bit of strength before the classics - so far he definitely seems to be right

 

[Vesica]

Riders of the past two days: Groenewegen, Rowe and Bernal. Groenewegen not only because of his two sprints, but also the way he works in the echelons. Rowe is in beast mode and Bernal is very impressive for a skinny Colombian climber in these conditions. Sky and Jumbo in total are very impressive.

 

[MartinGT]

Jakobson ftw tomorrow.

 

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Groenewegen & Jumbo again! It pays to hang on in the front. Average 51.2 km/hour for the stage - ouch! How will that effect stage 3?


Tuesday 12 March stage 3 Cepoy - Moulins 200 km
The 3rd stage of Paris-Nice starts at 11:30 and the expected finish is around 16:30
Live video from 3:15pm CET (10:15am U.S. Eastern)

https://www.cyclingstage.com/paris-nice-2019/stage-3-route-pn-2019/

The 3th stage in Paris-Nice is a prime opportunity for fast finishers. Effectively, the only way to avoid a bunch sprint are echelons, as the 200 kilometres between Cepoy and Moulins is absolutely obstacle free.
Flat, flatter, flattest. Sure, not as flat as the Maldives – which rises to an elevation of 2.4 metres at its highest point -, yet the 3rd stage of Paris-Nice is coming close. The difference between the highest and the lowest point en route is 128 metres. So it is fair to say this is a prime opportinuty for fast men.

Profile

map

 

[fuiers]

Re:

Fractured vertebra for Warren Barguil
https://twitter.com/Arkea_Samsic/status/1105154559234719750?s=19

This can´t be good. All I remember when Neymar had the same thing in World Cup 2014 and he was out a long time. I think he even said that he almost lost the ability to walk. Lets hope Warren pulls through.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Bernal has this race in the bag.

 

[Breh]

Zakarin has barely lost time after two days of echelons :surprised:

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Fractured vertebra for Warren Barguil
https://twitter.com/Arkea_Samsic/status/1105154559234719750?s=19

This can´t be good. All I remember when Neymar had the same thing in World Cup 2014 and he was out a long time. I think he even said that he almost lost the ability to walk. Lets hope Warren pulls through.

Hope he's able to recover from that. That just sounds bad.

 

[The Barb]

Re:

Bernal has this race in the bag.

I'm starting to feel the same way. I had thought he might lose a minute or so in the time trial to guys like Kwiatkowski, Jungels and Keldermann but the way he's riding on the flat 30 seconds now seems more realistic.

 

[hayneplane]

Bernal has been incredibly tenacious and legitimately strong. Can't help wondering what he could do in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen.

Luke Rowe looks in career best form and when we hit the big one day races where he is free to ride for his own glory it will be tough for everyone to follow him.

Impressive too from Quintana to lose just a handful of seconds across two fast hard windy stages ridden flat out for long periods and more attentive than we are used to seeing him same can be said for Zakarin who can usually be relied on to drop two minutes in a chaotic race like this second stage.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

Finally. I haven't been able to access this forum for almost 2 days. Anyone else been getting 502 Bad Gateway errors?

Me too.

I blame the anti "SB should be a monument" crowd

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Bernal... I couldn't believe my eyes. Simply out of this world, and that's probably still not covering it.

Yes that was my thought when I read the race results. Didn't see the race but I assume his Sky teammates must have played a big part on getting him into that position e.g. Luke Rowe ?

Rowe was great, but Bernal himself was doing amazing pulls while many strong guys got thrown out the back. Unreal.

It seems slightly possible that he could even end up being better than Contador, better than Froome. Such amazing all around ability at such a young age.

Bernal for the Giro and - dare I say it? - Quintana for the Tour this year?

 

[The Barb]

Re: Re:

Bernal... I couldn't believe my eyes. Simply out of this world, and that's probably still not covering it.

Yes that was my thought when I read the race results. Didn't see the race but I assume his Sky teammates must have played a big part on getting him into that position e.g. Luke Rowe ?

Rowe was great, but Bernal himself was doing amazing pulls while many strong guys got thrown out the back. Unreal.

It seems slightly possible that he could even end up being better than Contador, better than Froome. Such amazing all around ability at such a young age.

Bernal for the Giro and - dare I say it? - Quintana for the Tour this year?

59km of individual time trialing in the Giro will make it hard for Bernal to beat Dumoulin and Roglic.

A real shame his Sky duties mean he's forced to target the Giro and not the Tour. With only one 27km time trial in the Tour he could absolutely win it.

 

[hammerthaim]

8km prologue won't be a big loss. Gaps will be small.

Stage 9 is a mountain time trial. Gaps won't be that large although there is 22km flatbefore the MTN.

Stage 21 @15 km could be a worry.

 

[The Barb]

8km prologue won't be a big loss. Gaps will be small.

Stage 9 is a mountain time trial. Gaps won't be that large although there is 22km flat before the MTN.

Stage 21 @15 km could be a worry.

Not to nitpick, but I don't know that you could really call stage 9 a mountain time trial. There's only really two phases of climbing, totaling about 9km at 6%. The other 26km is pretty flat.

But in any case, I'm probably wrong to be coming to any conclusions about Bernal's time trialing ability at this stage. He could easily turn out to be of a similar balance to Contador in terms of climbing and time trialing ability.

 

[Flamin]

I just noticed that Iván García is only 23, wow. I thought he was like 27-28 or something.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

Bernal... I couldn't believe my eyes. Simply out of this world, and that's probably still not covering it.

Yes that was my thought when I read the race results. Didn't see the race but I assume his Sky teammates must have played a big part on getting him into that position e.g. Luke Rowe ?

Rowe was great, but Bernal himself was doing amazing pulls while many strong guys got thrown out the back. Unreal.

It seems slightly possible that he could even end up being better than Contador, better than Froome. Such amazing all around ability at such a young age.

Bernal for the Giro and - dare I say it? - Quintana for the Tour this year?

Maybe a little bit early for that statements. Let's see if he can lock up this race first, and then what he's going to do at the Giro.
The kid is talented, no doubt, but it wouldn't be the first time a talented guy doesn't fulfill his potential. Just look at Andy Schleck or even Quintana. After 2013 everyone thought that he'll won at least couple of Tours...

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Bernal has been incredibly tenacious and legitimately strong. Can't help wondering what he could do in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen.

Luke Rowe looks in career best form and when we hit the big one day races where he is free to ride for his own glory it will be tough for everyone to follow him.

Impressive too from Quintana to lose just a handful of seconds across two fast hard windy stages ridden flat out for long periods and more attentive than we are used to seeing him same can be said for Zakarin who can usually be relied on to drop two minutes in a chaotic race like this second stage.

Most probably nothing.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

I just noticed that Iván García is only 23, wow. I thought he was like 27-28 or something.

Might be the next Spanish Flandrien after Flecha

 

[Alexandre B.]

First intermediate sprint:

1. Kwiatkowski, 3pts/3''
2. LL.Sanchez, 2pts/2''
3. Gallopin, 1pt/1''

 

[Salvarani]

Re: Re:

I just noticed that Iván García is only 23, wow. I thought he was like 27-28 or something.

Might be the next Spanish Flandrien after Flecha

And he has a better sprint than Flecha ever had, potential is there for sure

 

[Salvarani]

Crosswinds today also?