Paris-Nice 2017, 5th-12th March

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Alaphilippe, so many 2nd places over the past years. Really gutted for him.

and he's so cool and likeable!

For real though. He is Mr. 2nd place it seems ... but still only 24. His time will come. At least he tries his luck at moments like today. That is way more entertaining than most of Gerrans wins for example

If he could sprint like Gerrans he would do the same. Successful riders ride to their strengths, entertaining riders entertain. But he is early in his career and the wins will come more often and one day he will have the road smarts of someone like Gerrans.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

A fun stage and it sets things up nicely by giving Henao and Martin 38 seconds on Porte. I make Porte the slight favourite at this point though, then Contador. I'd love to be wrong but I don't see how Gallopin or Alaphillipe stay with the climbers.

 

[Tonton]

So many second places...to Valverde. For the comparisons, that one has become a staple: Balaphilippe. He's the only one close to Valverde in races that Valverde has dominated for years. It's not like he chokes or isn't smart. Julian is close, but not quite as good as Don Alejandro. Nothing to be ashamed of. The wins, big wins, will come.

BTW, if it was Valverde in Julian's position right now, pretty much everybody would say that he's the overwhelming favorite moving forward. I think that Alaphilippe is. Some here under-estimate him. It will take something very special for another rider to beat him...and he's just as explosive as Henao or Porte. He won't get out-punched.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

So many second places...to Valverde. For the comparisons, that one has become a staple: Balaphilippe. He's the only one close to Valverde in races that Valverde has dominated for years. It's not like he chokes or isn't smart. Julian is close, but not quite as good as Don Alejandro. Nothing to be ashamed of. The wins, big wins, will come.

BTW, if it was Valverde in Julian's position right now, pretty much everybody would say that he's the overwhelming favorite moving forward. I think that Alaphilippe is. Some here under-estimate him. It will take something very special for another rider to beat him...and he's just as explosive as Henao or Porte. He won't get out-punched.

Well, he's the only one close to Valverde as a puncheur other than his own teammate. As for underestimating him, I don't think I'm doing that. I fully agree that he's not getting out punched by Porte etc. But there's a real mountain stage here and he simply hasn't shown much evidence that he can compete with top tier climbers on those. I certainly won't be shocked if he did so in this race, but it's unwise on the balance of probabilities to expect things from a rider in any given race that he hasn't routinely shown the ability to do.

 

[Tonton]

Mount Baldy anyone ? Vs. Henao BTW.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Mount Baldy anyone ? Vs. Henao BTW.

Mount Baldy is his stand out climbing performance. While it was good, it was also a stage with considerably less climbing than the queen stage here and it was against a very much weaker field. We are talking about a stage where Sagan came 6th, not a stage finishing with a 17 km climb after other serious climbing against Contador, Porte et . Plus it's not as if he has climbed at that level very regularly.

I really wouldn't be shocked if he does climb at a top tier level, he's young after all and a big talent. But I really don't see much grounds for expecting him to do so.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Everyone going on about Allaphilippe & Gallopin as if Henao and Dan Martin not in the race

Both Martin & Henao will finish in front of the 2 Frenchmen on GC because the TT is not long and is hilly and because they are much much better climbers

This. People are talking about the TT like it's a 40k flat one. And they are both top 10 climbers, Alaphilippe/Gallopin are not.

And Martin and Henao are likely to drop the rest on stage 6. Don't know if the frenchmen are going to survive the penultimate climb.

These two.

Especially in the case of Henao.

What a first stage though! I thought that it was going to be incredibly bland!!

 

[rghysens]

Re:

Everyone going on about Allaphilippe & Gallopin as if Henao and Dan Martin not in the race

Both Martin & Henao will finish in front of the 2 Frenchmen on GC because the TT is not long and is hilly and because they are much much better climbers

A tt with 11km flat/slightly downhill will make Dan Martin loose too much time (compared to Henao, Porte and maybe Contador, and also to Alaphilippe). Besides, at this time of the year Alaphilippe can hold his own on a hard climb.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

The weather will be a leveller if it stays like this. Draining for the lighter riders when the wind blows hard and it becomes more a case of every man for himself. Could be more echelons, maybe today. Plus we haven't even had a downhill yet

 

[RedheadDane]

Race to the sun...
Well, maybe they'll find it, eventually.

---

This can only be described as a very optimistic reaction to what was a really horrible day for Astana yesterday (from Valgren):

Wuhuuu @ParisNice
It was true pairs nice stage, that's for sure
We do it again tomorrow. Hopefully we will have someone in the front

---

As for today's stage; I'm guessing Kittel.

 

[Cyclingismylife]

Will Bora sprint with Swift or Guardini today?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Will Bora sprint with Swift or Guardini today?

You mean Bahrein.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

Will Bora sprint with Swift or Guardini today?

No.
(See above)

 

[Cyclingismylife]

Yes, who do you think?

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't know who neither Bora nor Bahrain will sprint with. However, I do know that Bora is not gonna sprint with either Swift of Guardini.

 

[Cyclingismylife]

UAE-TeamEmirates was the team I meant. Do you know who is the sprinter?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

Will Bora sprint with Swift or Guardini today?

No.
(See above)

I'm so silly.

 

[RedheadDane]

No...
Silly thing is I kinda knew that Swift is in fact on UAE - he was one of the riders getting some sort of extra focus during the whole TJ Sports-no-sponsors-team-might-fold mess - yet at the same time I was convinced Guardini is in fact on Bahrain...
Maybe they'll sprint for whoever proves to be best...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Will Bora sprint with Swift or Guardini today?

No.
(See above)

I'm so silly.

:lol:

 

[Poursuivant]

I fancy Kristoff for the win today.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Echelons already.

 

[Alexandre B.]

 

[Netserk]

The nine escapees are Romain Hardy (Fortuneo), Julien Simon (Cofidis), Sam Oomen (Sunweb), Kristijan Koren (Cannondale), Oliver Naesen (Ag2R), Marc Soler (Movistar), Manuele Mori (UAE), Nathanael Berhane (Dimension Data) and Delio Fernandez (Delko-Marseille). They now lead the peloton by 30 seconds.

 

[Poursuivant]

Re:

That is a great picture .

 

[sQiD]

I prefer this one