Paris-Nice 2024, March 3-10

[postmanhat]

Plapp doesn't seem like the most technically gifted of riders (?)

Plapp is an average descender and was never going to spend much time on the front in a descent finish.

Most of that last 30K wouldn't have suited him I suppose. Tomorrow looks like a diesel climb so he should be ok if can handle the cold weather?

 

[DNP-Old]

I think there's a lot more improvement to come from Roglic than there is from Remco before the Tour,

Roglic is without the FoodCoach app now, I'm not so sure.

 

[Oldermanish]

Remco was way too much fixated on Roglic when Jorgensen and later McNulty/Skjelmose attacked.

He shouldn't take Roglic into account from now on, and focus on his real contenders for GC.

Ooops! A little late for that. Both McNulty and our Boiseboy Mateo are going to be difficult to shed with the help of UAE and Visma.
It's early in the season and both Remco and Roglic should be thinking longer term for their peak.

 

[Boehmand]

I think there's a lot more improvement to come from Roglic than there is from Remco before the Tour,

Only if he is purposefully starting his season differently than at Jumbo, because he won T-A last year, and P-N the year before that.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Denk tapping up riders during a grand tour like he's Real Madrid and disrespecting his only GT winner only to turn around and get Chris Froomed is pretty funny, looking forward to the amount they're paying Roglic go up every time it's mentioned this year.

 

[Oldermanish]

Only if he is purposefully starting his season differently than at Jumbo, because he won T-A last year, and P-N the year before that.

And did not win the Tour. Crashes aside he needed a fresh plan so this could be it.

 

[Netserk]

Official profile of tomorrow's stage:

The finish-line is at 0.9 km to go on cyclingcols's profile:

 

[Froome]

I will say it again. Joao almeida should had stayed on Quick step. He was improving a lot year by year, and even with Remco he would have in the future more opportunities.
The situation for him is getting worse now with toro, yates, ayuso, of course pogacar, and other riders like mcnulty.

 

[Salvarani]

I will say it again. Joao almeida should had stayed on Quick step. He was improving a lot year by year, and even with Remco he would have in the future more opportunities.
The situation for him is getting worse now with toro, yates, ayuso, of course pogacar, and other riders like mcnulty.

He hasnt gotten worse by the move.

He finished 3rd last year in the Giro, his best GT-result so far. All his results last year in stage-races were good.

His only fault seems to be that he is very unspectacular, taking his own tempo at times (yoyo-ing as some say) and people mock him. However he is for the most parts solid and consistent. Rarely does he have a completely bad day.

If he wants to win stage-races and have the best set-up for a great result in a GT, he is most definitely in one of the best teams even though it is crowded.

 

[Froome]

He hasnt gotten worse by the move.

He finished 3rd last year in the Giro, his best GT-result so far.

His only fault seems to be that he is very unspectacular, taking his own tempo at times (yoyo-ing as some say) and people mock him. However he is for the most parts solid and consistent. Rarely does he have a completely bad day.

If he wants to win stage-races and have the best set-up for a great result in a GT, he is most definitely in one of the best teams even though it is crowded.

3rd last year in the Giro is a really fair argument, but i think he was the strongest rider in the Giro 2021 on the third week. Unfortunately he had a bad day in the first week on a medium mountain stage. I think he could had finished in the podium in 2021 if that didn't happen.

 

[Sciatic]

Like Soren Kierkegaard. Bein Danish and Catholic are the new marginal gains.

It was interesting, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rider from a Northern European country (mostly non-Catholic region) bless themselves crossing the finish line. I’m sure it has happened before but I’ve mainly seen that from Spanish, Italian, and S. American riders.

 

[Berniece]

Ooops! A little late for that. Both McNulty and our Boiseboy Mateo are going to be difficult to shed with the help of UAE and Visma.
It's early in the season and both Remco and Roglic should be thinking longer term for their peak.

I don’t think McNulty will finish on the podium even

 

[Juan Pelota]

Is this the same La Madone made famous by Lance Armstrong in his tests for the Tour?

 

[Netserk]

Is this the same La Madone made famous by Lance Armstrong in his tests for the Tour?

No. Tomorrow's climb is located here: https://www.cyclingcols.com/map/col/MadoneDUtelle

The famous Col de la Madone is located here: https://www.cyclingcols.com/map/col/Madone

You can zoom in.

 

[Sciatic]

Official profile of tomorrow's stage:

The finish-line is at 0.9 km to go on cyclingcols's profile:

I don’t know why they felt the need to shorten the stage as well as substituting the new climb for the finale? Not enough time to get permissions to use different roads/routes that are controlled by local departements or municipalities? I’m sure that this has been asked dozens of times before in this forum—but why is it that organizers of Spring races that include higher altitude climbs don’t have a complete alternate route prepared and approved for those mountain stages? Seems like no-brainer, especially given the modern weather protocols. Seems silly or just head-in-the-sand “I’m sure it will be fine.”

 

[Netserk]

It was interesting, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rider from a Northern European country (mostly non-Catholic region) bless themselves crossing the finish line. I’m sure it has happened before but I’ve mainly seen that from Spanish, Italian, and S. American riders.

I'm unsure if today symbolised the crucifix or the flag on his jersey.

 

[Netserk]

I don’t know why they felt the need to shorten the stage as well as substituting the new climb for the finale? Not enough time to get permissions to use different roads/routes that are controlled by local departements or municipalities? I’m sure that this has been asked dozens of times before in this forum—but why is it that organizers of Spring races that include higher altitude climbs don’t have a complete alternate route prepared and approved for those mountain stages? Seems like no-brainer, especially given the modern weather protocols. Seems silly or just head-in-the-sand “I’m sure it will be fine.”

They follow the original route until the base of the final climb. It's the easiest solution.

 

[Sciatic]

I'm unsure if today symbolised the crucifix or the flag on his jersey.

Ah, hadn’t thought of that!

 

[Hugh Januss]

Is this the same La Madone made famous by Lance Armstrong in his tests for the Tour?

Or infamous! No that's the Col de la Madone, closer to Italy and the coast.

 

[Sciatic]

They follow the original route until the base of the final climb. It's the easiest solution.

Sure it’s the easiest, but cutting 70 km off the stage distance as well as eliminating the penultimate climb and having a shallower final climb is . . . a lot. But you’re probably right since they had to go through all the work just to get the new climb sorted out, this makes sense.

 

[RedheadDane]

It was interesting, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rider from a Northern European country (mostly non-Catholic region) bless themselves crossing the finish line. I’m sure it has happened before but I’ve mainly seen that from Spanish, Italian, and S. American riders.

My first thought was whether he was dedicating the win to someone.

 

[Berniece]

I don’t know why they felt the need to shorten the stage as well as substituting the new climb for the finale? Not enough time to get permissions to use different roads/routes that are controlled by local departements or municipalities? I’m sure that this has been asked dozens of times before in this forum—but why is it that organizers of Spring races that include higher altitude climbs don’t have a complete alternate route prepared and approved for those mountain stages? Seems like no-brainer, especially given the modern weather protocols. Seems silly or just head-in-the-sand “I’m sure it will be fine.”

It takes a lot of effort to clear everything for a plan B. I think it’s extremely difficult logistically to have a proper plan B set up for every stage.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Wow Skjelmose ... really really great

I like Skjelmose in interviews, always brutal honesty

I think he is alot stronger that he gives himself credit for
He went around Remco the other day uphill no problem ...how much power is that ?

I think he could maybe do something on Sunday ...Maybe with the help of Pederson and co ? Still there for me for the win

Something quite wrong with Roglic ? We havent seen him so much on the back foot in a stage race for a long time. Yes its Paris Nice but has been the race the produces the Tour winner over many years

As for the boy wonder Remco ...looked second rate on the climbs which was surprise ...it wasnt about chasing ...he didnt seem to have climbing legs

I wish Pog was saving himself for the Tour

 

[Sciatic]

It takes a lot of effort to clear everything for a plan B. I think it’s extremely difficult logistically to have a proper plan B set up for every stage.

Sure, I understand it’s a complicated process, but it certainly would be needed for every stage—just the stages with higher altitude climbs in areas known to get snow that time of year. But obviously this would have crossed the minds of organizers years ago and have found it not worth (or feasible) to manage.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Roglic served that up perfectly for Jorgenson, just forgot they’re not in the same team anymore.