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Paris-Nice route announced

Mar 18, 2009
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auscyclefan94 said:
Could of they squeezed in a 25km tt?

That's not what Paris-Nice is all about. it's about tiny time gaps keeping the excitement. Anything can happen at any moment on any stage. Literally.

Races need to be different. Paris-Nice has its own formula, and the fact that it's different from the others is good :)
 
Jun 16, 2009
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issoisso said:
That's not what Paris-Nice is all about. it's about tiny time gaps keeping the excitement. Anything can happen at any moment on any stage. Literally.

Races need to be different. Paris-Nice has its own formula, and the fact that it's different from the others is good :)

So they've rarely ever have a tt in Paris Nice
 
auscyclefan94 said:
Could of they squeezed in a 25km tt?
As Issoisso points out. Not the recent P-N way.
auscyclefan94 said:
So they've rarely ever have a tt in Paris Nice
They used to ITT up Col d'Eze, each year.
This race consistently produces the best, most exciting stage racing of the year.
Maybe, not having it cut and dried by an over-long ITT, compliments the parcours, to make it so.
Tour of Cali, take note.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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And the col d'Eze TT was part of the race when Kelly was winning it 7 times - shows how non shabby he was ;)

ITTs have no place in week long stage races - skew the results far too much. A parcours like P-N favours a good all rounder, like Kelly, not necessarily a mountain goat. A TT would kill it stone dead.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Looks great.
Maybe now that Nocentini has got some confidence he can actually win this thing. Assuming he's going this year.

Laurens ten Dam said in interviews that he will have more freedom to work towards smaller stage races now that he proved he can climb in last years Giro and Tour. This race will be his first goal.
Any opinions on how well he might do?
I think in the best conditions he can get place 3 without ever being close to winning the race.
 
May 6, 2009
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What I love about the race is that in the early stages there is a lot of rain and some strong cross winds. In recent years it sorts the men from the boys and it causes some massive splits in the field with gruppetto's all over the road. Remember 2008 and last year when Contador was jumping from group to group (the stage where Chavanel won despite being up against several Rabo riders in the break) because his team mates had been dropped.

If I lived in Britian and I had some time off from work then I would not think twice about going over to catch a stage or two (usually the final weekend). Put the bike in a rental car and it is as good as gold.
 
richwagmn said:
Super, Schlecklet and Levi are going too. Wonder if LA shows up?

No, way, no how. He's not ready to have that bubble popped too quickly. We must keep the cycling universe in suspense about what will happen during the big show down between Team Lance and Alberto and The Dregs!

Btw, a little OT, but I read an article today were Lance was saying that he felt bad for the guys at Astana because everyone has been talking about them like they were sh!t riders. And the first thought that came to my head was I seriously doubt the sycophantic journalist would bother to remind him that he was one of the first to public dismiss the team. And of course my doubts were confirmed.
 
That Mende finish intrigues me, because eventhough its a short climb, its very nasty, and in a race decided often by seconds, s true climber could gain a fair amount of time on that hill. I presume that the finish will be on the downhill to the airport, i haven't read the link, but the hill kinda reminds me of an early week Giro hill finish, short but nasty.
 
The Mende finish is right at the top of the climb, unlike the Tour, which finishes at the aerodrome.
Last used in the wonderful 2007 edition, which this one closely resembles.
Contador began his attacking of Rebellin there, having lost 20 odd seconds on a seemingly innocent stage.
Finally took yellow on the Promenade d'Anglais, having destroyed the field on Eze.
The weather throughout was warm and sunny!

Anyhow, Mende blew the peloton into ones and twos, with riders spread out all over the place. A bit like Xorret di Cati.
 
Jan 22, 2010
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issoisso said:
That's not what Paris-Nice is all about. it's about tiny time gaps keeping the excitement. Anything can happen at any moment on any stage. Literally.

Races need to be different. Paris-Nice has its own formula, and the fact that it's different from the others is good :)

The Paris Nice formula before the ASO got their hands on it, was to always have a short Time Trial on the last day.