Paris - Nice, Stage 3 Châtel-Guyon -> Brioude 170 km, Wednesday 6th March

[l.Harm]

Why Greenedge doesn't give Matthews a chance

 

[Froome19]

Why Greenedge doesn't give Matthews a chance

Because Howard is better

(at least they think so, I wouldn't necessarily disagree straight out)

 

[manafana]

have a feeling for gallopin in this but wide open if its races at a good pace up climbs which im sure opqs want

 

[trevim]

1. someone
2. JJ Rojas
3. someone

3rd can be Gallopin. He's always up there but sadly never winning

 

[Jancouver]

Some youngster
AleJet
Huta (I mean, WTF is wrong with this dude? He better be there!)

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

They should do the loop the other way.

However it seems highly likely a sprinter will win, although slim chance of something else.
OPQS will try to put Chavanel in the lead and probably will succeed but I think they will do by setting a very high tempo rather than Chavanel attacking.

 

[greenedge]

I think Rojas, Matthews and Viviani have the best chance for a stage win. I expect to see some attacks from Sylvain and some hard work done by Gilbert.

I do hope Matthews can win, but i wouldn't mind if the other 2 did either.
Renshaw if he survives could go well too.

 

[Ferminal]

No wind but sounds like it will be drizzly all day. Hopefully we actually get a proper break...

 

[KarottenKarl]

Today

I expect the gc guys to test each other..

 

[Magnus]

well, we wouldn't want too much excitement this early in the race.

Gallopin FTW.

What's wrong with giving the descenders a chance?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

What's wrong with giving the descenders a chance?

What do you mean? They don't stand a chance.

 

[Ferminal]

I expect the gc guys to test each other..

Think Sky will come out and play if they aren't too banged around by all the crashes.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

What's wrong with giving the descenders a chance?

10km of flat after the end of the descend? It will be difficult. Poor weather will help attackers, but there could be crashes involved.

 

[SafeBet]

I think Rojas, Matthews and Viviani have the best chance for a stage win. I expect to see some attacks from Sylvain and some hard work done by Gilbert.

I'd say it's a tad too hard for Elia. But one can hope

 

[Pippo_San]

I'd say it's a tad too hard for Elia. But one can hope

He's a strong man, he'll keep up, have faith!

 

[will10]

Personally I think doing the loop that way around favours attackers more than the other way around. A narrow descent will make it much more difficult to get organised and chase. OK so it's probably still going to be a sprint. But a wide descent is a lot easier to find your sprinter, bring him to the front and get chasing than a narrow one like we've got today.

 

[BlenJones2]

Doubt it would happen or be successful but I'd like to see JTL have a little go today

 

[Netserk]

Personally I think doing the loop that way around favours attackers more than the other way around. A narrow descent will make it much more difficult to get organised and chase. OK so it's probably still going to be a sprint. But a wide descent is a lot easier to find your sprinter, bring him to the front and get chasing than a narrow one like we've got today.

So 8 km on good wide roads with no flat is worse for attackers, than 11 km of good wide road that is flat?

 

[will10]

Based on the google maps images you posted, I'd say yes. It won't be an easy chase, the reverse would be.

 

[Netserk]

Based on the google maps images you posted, I'd say yes. It won't be an easy chase, the reverse would be.

Although the downhill is narrow, there is still 11 km of flat road after that, where the bunch will pull it back.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Based on the google maps images you posted, I'd say yes. It won't be an easy chase, the reverse would be.

but then attackers could gain serious time going up the reverse side, 2km @ 9% vs 6% now.

Perhaps they should have done the loop twice.

 

[Netserk]

Also I can understand that the images was misleading. The ascent photo was of the first 8 km in the loop, where it is mostly an uphill drag. The 'steep' ascent is also narrow.

 

[jens_attacks]

5 minutes of effort uphill, even kittel will probably back after the descent.
tirreno it is

 

[Christian]

Gallopin FTW.

I read on his sisters blog that he didn't feel good yesterday, stiff and sore from a crash on stage 1...

I hope Voeckler and Chavanel will go kamikaze in that descend, also agree that Meersman sounds like a good candidate

 

[afpm90]

Jose Ivan Gutierrez from Movistar didn't start this stage due to pain on his abdominals.