Paris-Nice 2024, March 3-10

[Berniece]

Congratulations to Arvid de Kleijn for winning the sprint.

Intense finale, luckily no big crashes involved. Tomorrow comes crunch time and i am rather optimistic in regards to Rogla and Bora. On stage one Vlasov at one point brought Remco back and van Poppel was rather active today. Tomorrow Remco likely killing his team with setting the pace, meanwhile Rogla mere wheelsucking ...

Should be good and looking forward to it!

I don’t think I understand your joke, but tomorrow is the TTT. So if Roglic doesn’t even take a turn there his GC would be lost.

 

[Offline]

Ideally UAE will each do their own ITT - tactics as usual.

I think they are the favorite for tomorrow. Insane team for the route!

First part of the route is very hard. Last part not. But you need riders for the last part.
So going to be tricky for all teams not riding full tempo on the hard part to keep riders for the last.
Only team that don't need to safe anything is UAE. They have 6 riders that are amazing at both uphill and TT.
+ UAE probably right now has the best TT equipment in the peloton.

Remco would win any day on a ITT. But he probably just going to kill his entire team on the first hill. 7 man are stronger than 1.

And don't think UAE multi leader system going to be a problem for them tomorrow.
The lead-out rule (or what you call it) would be more effectful if the route was turn around and had the hills coming in the end.

 

[Unchained]

Basically, each rider 's individual time.

So for the stage the team with the best individual rider time will be on the podium? Or some kind of lowest collective time based on first 4?
I read it, the English translation and it just sounds like an ITT, and don't get the team part for the day of the race,
Because of your screen name is why I ask you everything!!

 

[Rob5091]

Danny van Poppel confirms that keeping Roglic upright is a priority job -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...ris-nice-with-danny-van-poppel-4th-on-stage-2
"We had two goals: to sprint and to keep Primoz Roglic safe,"

 

[Oldermanish]

Congratulations to Arvid de Kleijn for winning the sprint.

Intense finale, luckily no big crashes involved. Tomorrow comes crunch time and i am rather optimistic in regards to Rogla and Bora. On stage one Vlasov at one point brought Remco back and van Poppel was rather active today. Tomorrow Remco likely killing his team with setting the pace, meanwhile Rogla mere wheelsucking ...

Should be good and looking forward to it!

I'm not a psychologist but your consistent characterization of Roglic's riding may be some sort of projection issue. Might want to get that checked out before PN is over.

 

[Berniece]

SOQ disclosed their tactics for the TTT. Get over the last of two hills with at least 4 people, and drop Remco off at 400-500m before the finish

 

[RedheadDane]

I read it, the English translation and it just sounds like an ITT, and don't get the team part for the day of the race,
Because of your screen name is why I ask you everything!!

The team part is the fact that they start as a team.

From what I understand/recall from last year, the teams' times - which determines the stage winner - is based on the 4th rider, but riders can be launched to finish ahead.

 

[bNator]

why is this guy banned all the time? wtf?
I dont remember anything offensive, i like his posts, even if he's a little hard-headed lol

He seems to be easily triggered. But then again, it’s not that difficult to be easily triggered around here sometimes…

 

[Samu Cuenca]

From what I understand/recall from last year, the teams' times - which determines the stage winner - is based on the 4th rider, but riders can be launched to finish ahead.

If that were the case, it wouldn't be different from any other TTT. Each team gets the time of their first rider across the line, while the riders themselves get the time of the group* they finish in.

*only groups of riders from their own team. They can't just wait around for another team at the finish and then get their time instead

 

[topcat]

He seems to be easily triggered. But then again, it’s not that difficult to be easily triggered around here sometimes…

Sometimes all I need is the air that I breathe and the CN forum

 

[search]

Here's a bit about Quickstep's plans for today, from Belgian press:

(gt)

The seven of Soudal Quick-Step can now blindly run the 26.9 kilometers around Auxerre. “They rode the course three times on Friday,” says technical and development manager Nicolas Coosemans. “UAE-Team Emirates and Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale were also there. With Remco in the ranks, this is not an unnecessary luxury. On the contrary. The first part is rough, full of road narrows, posts and potholes.”

“Tricky,” says sports director Iljo Keisse. “There are two tough climbs. Not easy to survive with the entire group. Halfway through you have an equally steep descent on a wide road and at the end it goes up a bit. All in all it is a nice course, but I also remember the open environment in which the racing takes place.”

“Tough as nails,” Yves Lampaert described the assignment. “It's a tough course.” Everyone had seen it beforehand on the VeloViewer app, but it was still a shock. “Those two climbs are really tough ones,” said Ilan Van Wilder plainly. “It's more difficult than anyone expected.”

In the time trial of the Tour of the Algarve, Remco Evenepoel showed off for the first time with a front chainring of 62 teeth. It is no different in Auxerre. “No, he is not suddenly going to cut 68 teeth, like Foss did in the UAE Tour,” says Coosemans. (laughs) “He has a very nice straight chain and it runs very well. We are satisfied with it. It is exactly the same material as in Portugal. Including Specialized time trial tires.”

Evenepoel was told at the briefing by the team leaders on Saturday that he is allowed to ride his time trial bike with the rainbow colors, but as an individual world champion he is not allowed to ride with his ditto helmet and rainbow suit. “Not so long ago (2013, ed.), Tony Martin, as time trial world champion, was fined more than 1,600 euros because he had ridden a team time trial with rainbow stripes on his frame,” said sports director Iljo Keisse. “This is already one step forward.”

The six others make do with a front chain of 60 teeth. Evenepoel's time trial bike is also lighter than those of his teammates. “He weighs 7.6 kilos. Most time trial bikes weigh around 8 kilos. His time trial handlebars are a little lighter.”

Soudal Quick-Step did not make a decision overnight in choosing the six who will accompany Evenepoel in this Paris-Nice. Unlike the Tour of the Algarve, Mikel Landa is not there. “Of course I could have used it in the final weekend,” said the leader himself. “But we also immediately saw that the team time trial could be an important stage. We have climbers in Mattia Cattaneo and Ilan Van Wilder who can also set a good time trial. With Mikel it is a little less. He is now preparing for the Tour of Catalonia and the Tour of the Basque Country. He also occasionally takes his own chances. Mikel can be more important to me in his own Basque Country than here.”

Remco and co. We have known for a long time in which order they will ride this team time trial. “During the January training camp in Calpe, we looked for similar roads to those of Auxerre and simulated this time trial,” says Coosemans. The ranking has been fixed for a long time. Even though sports director Klaas Lodewyck refused to appoint the second man, it will in principle be Van Wilder who will have to take over after Evenepoel's turn. It is supposedly the 'hardest place' behind such a machine as the world champion. “If you ride a good time trial as a team, you shouldn't be a victim. We have a plan. We are not going to reveal the rest.”

Van Wilder himself was not secretive about it. “I drive behind Remco. I am also the smallest of the seven. My last team time trial dates back to Utrecht 2022 in the Vuelta, which we won with Remco. I wasn't in that position then. It's the first time immediately behind him. That in itself is ça va. We've already trained it. I am still relatively well protected from the wind. For me it is a lot easier than for other guys who would constantly have to ride into the wind behind Remco.”

Just like last year, organizer Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) uses the formula that every rider's time counts. In Grand Tours that was always the time of the fourth rider in a team with eight riders. This change in the regulations provides a spectacle, especially in the last kilometer, but on the other hand we noted last year that no fewer than three teams finished within 4 (!) seconds over 32.2 kilometers.

Still, it remains to be seen whether Remco will run off alone in the last kilometer(s?) “I think it's a cool rule,” Evenepoel said. “It is something special that you add to the race, but the only thing that changes is that you can get a full lead out in the last kilometers. Provided that you don't lose a few teammates after ten kilometers, because then that's no problem either benefit. Above all, you have to manage the effort of the entire team well. You are always stronger with six to seven people than all alone," concluded Evenepoel, who secretly hopes for yellow.

Source: https://pressreader.com/article/281904483133352

 

[RedheadDane]

If that were the case, it wouldn't be different from any other TTT. Each team gets the time of their first rider across the line, while the riders themselves get the time of the group* they finish in.

*only groups of riders from their own team. They can't just wait around for another team at the finish and then get their time instead

Sure, in a normal TTT teams can still launch a rider, but it wouldn't make a difference, because he'd still get the time of the 4th best rider.

But it seems like I misremembered. Thought one of the tactical considerations teams had to make was whether they should burn up their domestiques one-by-one, leaving the GC rider to finish alone, gaining as much time on his rivals as possible, and not giving ten flying fucks about the stage win, or stick together in order to challenge for the stage.

 

[Berniece]

Here's a bit about Quickstep's plans for today, from Belgian press:


Source: https://pressreader.com/article/281904483133352

Thanks for sharing! They seem very well prepared for it, and ready to take the leader's jersey

 

[CyclistAbi]

I'm not a psychologist but your consistent characterization of Roglic's riding may be some sort of projection issue. Might want to get that checked out before PN is over.

Thanks for the advice, will do ASAP.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Looking at the race profile, today might be the decisive day for GC. Whoever has the lead after today can just wheelsuck until Nice.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Nah, today in my opinion won't decide the overall, on the other hand it will open up the GC battle. We don't know if Auron stage will go through, due to the weather, still some other opportunities exist in days to come.

But i do agree that it's important to do well today, if having GC ambitions.

 

[Berniece]

Looking at the race profile, today might be the decisive day for GC. Whoever has the lead after today can just wheelsuck until Nice.

I just hope it's not Bora that for some reason shines and takes the lead. Roglic is more fun to watch if he isn't winning, because he'll definitely go for it and attack.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

The team part is the fact that they start as a team.

From what I understand/recall from last year, the teams' times - which determines the stage winner - is based on the 4th rider, but riders can be launched to finish ahead.

I don't think the 4th man has any significance, except to his own (probably modest) GC placing. Looking at last year, Bora's 4th man finished in the same group as their first guy (34:20, Bora were 6th), while UAE's 4th rider crossed the line in 36:22, more than 2 minutes behind teammate Pogacar: UAE were 5th.

Going by the numbers from last year each rider gets his own time (but with the same same-time-if-you-are-within-one-second-of-wheel-in-front leniency, which is what the strange clause in the rules seems to be saying), while it is the first finisher's time that determines both the stage result and the contribution to the teams classification.

I think.

 

[search]

Looking at last year, Bora's 4th man finished in the same group as their first guy (34:20, Bora were 6th), while UAE's 4th rider crossed the line in 36:22, more than 2 minutes behind teammate Pogacar: UAE were 5th.

last year we still saw different approaches, though, with some teams riding it the conventional way (meaning their 4th rider finished close to the 1st), while others launched their leader to sprint to the finish. It looked like the 2nd option was the quicker.

Now it's a different kind of finish, of course, but I guess that hill could be enough for most teams to go for the "leadout" style.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1764784283204415529

View: https://twitter.com/rtvslo/status/1764784283204415529

 

[Armchair cyclist]

last year we still saw different approaches, though, with some teams riding it the conventional way (meaning their 4th rider finished close to the 1st), while others launched their leader to sprint to the finish. It looked like the 2nd option was the quicker.

Now it's a different kind of finish, of course, but I guess that hill could be enough for most teams to go for the "leadout" style.

Indeed: I guess the intention is that it is a variant of the team sprint in track racing: team members burn themselves out in turn in the service of the leader. Which could be even more advantageous to a strong team than a normal TTT. But it makes life very hard for a team that wants dual leadership, or to keep their options open and 'let the road decide'

 

[shadowrider]

SOQ disclosed their tactics for the TTT. Get over the last of two hills with at least 4 people, and drop Remco off at 400-500m before the finish

Almost the same tactics of the team of Roglic and the team of Pedersen. Probably Pedersen, as a strong uphill sprinter, could gain 2 seconds on Roglic on those uphill last hundred of meters. And 3 to 4 seconds on Evenepoel. But I don't know whether that, together with the seconds he is now ahead in GC, will be enough to eliminate the gap from the earlier part of the time trial. Maybe not to win the time trial, but to just take the leading position in the GC.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1764784283204415529

View: https://twitter.com/rtvslo/status/1764784283204415529

Google translation:
"We want to win. But there are at least ten more of them here, already on the first stage there was a feeling that he wanted to win 200 of them," says Primož Roglič, who is competing in the Paris-Nice race for the first time in the jersey of the Bora Hansgrohe team. And he admits that he is not quite used to the new colors yet.

But unless there is some Slovenian idiomatic phrase at play here, I have no idea what that is meant to mean.

 

[Berflamand]

Almost the same tactics of the team of Roglic and the team of Pedersen. Probably Pedersen, as a strong uphill sprinter, could gain 2 seconds on Roglic on those uphill last hundred of meters. And 3 to 4 seconds on Evenepoel. But I don't know whether that, together with the seconds he is now ahead in GC, will be enough to eliminate the gap from the earlier part of the time trial. Maybe not to win the time trial, but to just take the leading position in the GC.

Pedersen is going to launch Skjelmose. I don't think he has any intention to try to stay with Skjelmose in the final to get a shot at the leader's jersey.

 

[Netserk]

Google translation:
"We want to win. But there are at least ten more of them here, already on the first stage there was a feeling that he wanted to win 200 of them," says Primož Roglič, who is competing in the Paris-Nice race for the first time in the jersey of the Bora Hansgrohe team. And he admits that he is not quite used to the new colors yet.

But unless there is some Slovenian idiomatic phrase at play here, I have no idea what that is meant to mean.

I think it's related to the fight for position in the bunch, that everyone is eager here. So many are in good form, and it will be hard for Bora to win the TTT.