Paris-Nice 2017, 5th-12th March

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

I prefer this one

Great

 

[Poursuivant]

Re:

I prefer this one

Haha, I love echelons.

 

[Poursuivant]

50 riders in front group, Porte is in there

 

[LaFlorecita]

Alaphilippe was 2nd at the Intermediate sprint behind Degenkolb, so he is again in the first group and also took 2 bonus seconds

 

[DBotero]

2s bonus for Alaphilippe.
Porte on the front group of 50 riders.
Contador and the big sprinters confirmed on the front group.

 

[yaco]

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.

Alaphalippe needs to add two more qualites

- race craft
- Saving energy

This should come in time.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Porte, Contador, Henao were in the first group but are now dropped

 

[DBotero]

Porte,Contador,Henao dropped 22 people leading the race.

 

[sQiD]

50 km/h ! Bring it ON !

 

[RedheadDane]

This looks like one of those situations where full-race/stage coverage would be really handy.

 

[LaFlorecita]

So Gallopin and Alaphilippe could again be the big winners

 

[Flamin]

This can't go on for another 150km. Surely groups will come back.

 

[Breh]

140kilometers to go...

 

[sQiD]

Re:

This can't go on for another 150km. Surely groups will come back.

If they have enough teammates, they can. Aka Doha Worlds.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Porte is sinking.

 

[Poursuivant]

Porte & Yates called as being in big trouble out of the back of the last group. #parisnice

 

[sQiD]

The Frenchies : Alaphillipe, Gallopin & Demarre are crashing GC riders !

 

[yaco]

Probably four or five Sporting Directors need to make a big call in the next 10 minutes - Concede GC aspirations today and go for stages.

 

[Poursuivant]

Barguil and G Izagirre in front group

 

[LaFlorecita]

Gallopin and Alaphilippe confirmed as the only GC contenders in the first group. Besides them some sprinters (Kittel, Greipel, Kristoff, Demare, Degenkolb) and domestiques

Just seen a photo of a lone Orica couple, 1 of them Yates, but unsure where they are

Edit: Barguil also in 1st group

 

[sQiD]

Who is the best represented team in the 1st group ?

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

This can't go on for another 150km. Surely groups will come back.

If they have enough teammates, they can. Aka Doha Worlds.

Except this is not the Worlds.

 

[Alexandre B.]

First peloton: John Degenkolb, Alexander Kristoff, Tony Gallopin, André Greipel, Julian Alaphilippe, Marcel Kittel, Gorka Izagirre, Timo Roosen, Maarten Wynants, Arnaud Démare, Rudy Molard, Marc Sarreau, Alexey Lutsenko, Christophe Laporte, Cyril Lemoine, Warren Barguil, Sam Oomen, Andrea Guardini, Sam Bennett, Gatis Smukulis

No sign of Gigs anywhere.

 

[Poursuivant]

Gallopin at front too

We got any time gaps??

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Who needs Qatar?