Paris-Nice 2017, 5th-12th March

[Tonton]

Today was really the reason I never see Porte winning a GT. He has the climbing ability and time trial ability. But he is really too susceptibale to the off-day. Either in bad weather or just not having the legs suddenly.

I think he put that to bed somewhat at last year's Tour. He didn't have a major off day and would have likely been 2nd if not for an ill-timed puncture.

Wasn't the day of the "ill-time puncture" a major off-day, then ? As it turned out, it was. I understand and share the skepticism with Porte, or TJVG: I always wonder what kind of bad luck or weird stuff is going to happen.

I just caught up with today's race, being at work all day and following the stage on CN's live updates. Watching the last FDJ rider (Cimolai?) get to the side and leaving Demare to take the wind way too far reminded me of the WRRC in Brno in '81 with Arnaud as Il Beppe . Too chaotic a final for FDJ to control: too bad. But it's a good learning experience for the newly-assembled train.

WRT the GC, Bertie's odds are going up IMO. Porte is no longer athreat, Berto is coming off a very good ITT at La Ruta, but I wouldn't count Balaphilippe out. Henao, Zaakarin, and Tony G. will fight for the last podium spot. I could be wrong...

That is unless Demare turns out to be the second coming of Sean Kelly .

 

[Tonton]

Just as a refresher, some names may sound familiar .

[img]http://i.imgur.com/OfUKYe9.jpg[/img]

That was the queen stage of last year's CdD, won by Merckx 2.0 a.k.a Tibopino.

Alaphilippe can win this thing guys/gals...

 

[vedrafjord]

Contador is a very explosive rider as well. If he is on 2014 form I wouldn't be surprised to see him to beat Henao.

Contador is getting to the stage of his career where it's meaningless to say "if he's on the form he had three years ago"

 

[vedrafjord]

Btw has any video surfaced of the early-stage shenanigans today?

 

[gregrowlerson]

Could this end up being the best stage race (or at least one week race) of the modern era? 9.5 out of 10 for the first 2 stages, and I thought they would be 0.5 out of 10!

 

[shalgo]

Re:

Wow, I am quite surprised by Colbrelli's win here. I didn't know he could pull it of against this kind of sprinting field, but his sprint was amazing. Is he one of the favourites now for Milano-Sanremo? I think he is. I'm also interested to see what he can do in his first Ronde.

He has to be one of the favourites now for MSR, although of course Demare and Degenkolb have also been making cases for themselves the past two days. Colbrelli can certainly handle the distance; he has finished in the lead group at MSR the last three years.

 

[jaylew]

I'm rather shocked by Colbrelli. He led from so far out. Seemed like the kind of sprint Kristoff often wins. Démare was in a perfect spot just sitting in his wheel and made up exactly zero ground on Sonny. Impressive.

 

[SafeBet]

Colbrelli needs a tough day to win MSR.

 

[saganist]

Nice ad for sportful! Some of the jackets were almost embarasing...

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

Wow, I am quite surprised by Colbrelli's win here. I didn't know he could pull it of against this kind of sprinting field, but his sprint was amazing. Is he one of the favourites now for Milano-Sanremo? I think he is. I'm also interested to see what he can do in his first Ronde.

He has to be one of the favourites now for MSR, although of course Demare and Degenkolb have also been making cases for themselves the past two days. Colbrelli can certainly handle the distance; he has finished in the lead group at MSR the last three years.

He was impressive in the 2014 edition of MSR, he attackedwith 2.6km to go and still finished 6th in the sprint.

 

[Flamin]

Deserved rest day today.

 

[afpm90]

Re:

I'm rather shocked by Colbrelli. He led from so far out. Seemed like the kind of sprint Kristoff often wins. Démare was in a perfect spot just sitting in his wheel and made up exactly zero ground on Sonny. Impressive.

It was impressive, also, how Colbrelli maintained his top speed for the entirity of the sprint.

 

[RedheadDane]

Naah... it's the time trial that's the restday. At least according to Valgren...

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Belgium tv suggest alaphillipe might have ADHD, anyone who knows if he actually does have a form of it? or doesn't.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Belgium tv suggest alaphillipe might have ADHD, anyone who knows if he actually does have a form of it? or doesn't.

Brian Holm said it as well, I think during the Olympics. Said he was the kind of guy who couldn't rest and needed to go for 250 k rides. Don't know how serious that was, tho, but there may be something about it.

 

[therhodeo]

Re:

Belgium tv suggest alaphillipe might have ADHD, anyone who knows if he actually does have a form of it? or doesn't.

Probably a lot of guys in the peloton do.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Perhaps Coquard can get into the mix today.
In any case we should see a major sprinter show down.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

On a side note: could Minali level with his dad one day?

 

[SafeBet]

Peloton really playing with fire.

 

[Lexman]

Groenewegen crash

 

[therhodeo]

Keep up the pressure boys. Would be huge for either of those 2 guys.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

UAU

 

[Samamba]

Horrible sprint from Kittel and Greipel.

 

[therhodeo]

Sabatini sat up and held Kittel up it looked like.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Pathetic sprint by André