Paris-Nice 2024, March 3-10

[scribers]

Both of these stage races lack drama. Maybe I’m going too critical

 

[Lequack]

That's because with the new weather protocols they cancel all the good stages, and leave only sprint stages. So you basically get the UAE Tour.

 

[repre]

Ah, those Remco vs Rogla debates. Come July and both fanbases will unite against the mighty Skeletor!

In July Remco's fanbase will root for van Wilder

 

[Unchained]

Both of these stage races lack drama. Maybe I’m going too critical

No you are seeing it pretty clearly, and most comments hedge their bet, hundreds that say, it early season, race is a building block for important races coming, guessing they mean Giro..but then why no real big risks being taken? Some of these teams could keep jumping until a real break is established, containing dangerous riders, lower on GC, but instead got mostly just a few riders, often conti guys rolling off the front, predictable catch and sprint.
No drama, heavy on snooze, excitement comes from seeing people not crash.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Saturday's finish will be at La Madone d'Utelle.

It was used during Paris-Nice 2016, with Contador trying to break Geraint Thomas and his superdomestique Sergio Henao. Ilnur Zakarin won that stage.

The climb (as it was used in 2016)

 

[Salvarani]

In July Remco's fanbase will root for van Wilder

Not a bad shout since Van Wilder might actually handle the long climbs.

 

[Berniece]

Saturday's finish will be at La Madone d'Utelle.

It was used during Paris-Nice 2016, with Contador trying to break Geraint Thomas and his superdomestique Sergio Henao. Ilnur Zakarin won that stage.

The climb (as it was used in 2016)

Nice, thanks for sharing. It's even a bit harder than the original stage. They are still doing La Colmiane?

 

[Netserk]

Saturday's finish will be at La Madone d'Utelle.

What?!

Boo!

 

[red_flanders]

I'm glad they found a climb they can use. It's enough if the riders want to go. Helluva lot better than a stage cancellation.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Nice, thanks for sharing. It's even a bit harder than the original stage. They are still doing La Colmiane?

Unfortunately, the stage will be drastically shortened and no Colmiane on the menu. Unipuerto stage.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Better to move it to a decent-enough replacement now (and I doubt they had many options), than persist with Auron with a significant risk of the snow being too much on Saturday and having the stage, or at least the MTF, cancelled entirely.

 

[Berniece]

Unfortunately, the stage will be drastically shortened and no Colmiane on the menu. Unipuerto stage.

Oof, so only 1 real tactic for Bora and SOQ. Let the team go as hard as possible from the start up the mountain, and see how long they can keep going. After that attack.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Doubt they had worse options. Nearly every nearby climb is better. Col de la Madone for example.

They need a green light from whichever municipalities they have to go through at the eleventh hour (and I think also the département?). Col de la Madone is a decently travelled pass, requires access from a quite densely-populated area, and is in a municipality that hasn't shown interest in hosting for ages. Madone d'Utelle is the opposite on all those aspects. So, of those two, I think only the latter was an actual option.

 

[Red Rick]

They need a green light from whichever municipalities they have to go through at the eleventh hour (and I think also the département?). Col de la Madone is a decently travelled pass, requires access from a quite densely-populated area, and is in a municipality that hasn't shown interest in hosting for ages. Madone d'Utelle is the opposite on all those aspects. So, of those two, I think only the latter was an actual option.

Other Col de La Madone is also fine. It's actually much closer to Utelle

 

[repre]

Not a bad shout since Van Wilder might actually handle the long climbs.

If Remco will provide another lackluster performance in high mountains maybe we will see a shift from him to van Wilder as a main GC contender for QS. So i was only half-jocking.

 

[Netserk]

I will certainly check the webcam of Auron on Saturday to see how the conditions are at the time of the race. I'll wager they'll be better than Terminillo in 2015.

 

[Sciatic]

They need a green light from whichever municipalities they have to go through at the eleventh hour (and I think also the département?). Col de la Madone is a decently travelled pass, requires access from a quite densely-populated area, and is in a municipality that hasn't shown interest in hosting for ages. Madone d'Utelle is the opposite on all those aspects. So, of those two, I think only the latter was an actual option.

Thanks for the nuance of the politics, that helps understand the decision (though we aren’t privy to what actually was discussed).

 

[Escarabajo]

What?!

Boo!

Better than nothing!

 

[Froome]

Saturday's finish will be at La Madone d'Utelle.

It was used during Paris-Nice 2016, with Contador trying to break Geraint Thomas and his superdomestique Sergio Henao. Ilnur Zakarin won that stage.

The climb (as it was used in 2016)

It's almost impossible to make differences in a climb like that.

 

[Froome]

Not for Chris

Chris harper?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

It's almost impossible to make differences in a climb like that.

Gaps were decent enough on this climb in 2016.

 

[Netserk]

They could use the harder beginning now than back then.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Looks like we might get a Rogla stomp at the end, unless he's still not used to BORA's different way of riding.

 

[Red Rick]

Gaps were decent enough on this climb in 2016.

Stage was overall pretty hard in 2016 and Contador was firing semi automatic and still gaps were very small.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Chris harper?

oops mistaken thread...