Paris-Nice stage 4, Crêches-sur-Saône to Belleville, 191km

[taiwan]

Paris-Nice stage 4, Crêches-sur-Saône to Belleville, 191km

An intermediate parcours. To me it looks tough enough to part Goss and the jersey, but not to split up the overall contenders. I'd plump for Sagan to win here normally, but we probably can't expect 100% from him after another crash. Rojas, or Bole, or Feillu possibly. Anyone have any other scenarios than a depleted bunch sprint?

 

[will10]

I think Goss will get back, it's a long way from the top of that Cat 2 climb to the finish. Haussler for me.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Another silly profile. That cat 2 looks like an alp, but it is exactly the same as today's climb:
Mountain passes & Hills
Crêches-sur-Saône Belleville - 191 km

* Km 17.0 - Col de Grand-Vent - 5.8 km climb to 4.5 % - Category 2
* Km 56.0 - Côte de Propières - 2.7 km climb to 5.3 % - Category 3
* Km 65.0 - Col des Ecorbans (853 m) - 2.6 km climb to 5.2 % - Category 3
* Km 95.0 - Col du Joncin (699 m) - 8.1 km climb to 4.1 % - Category 2
* Km 129.0 - Côte de Régnié-Durette - 1.5 km climb to 5.1 % - Category 3
* Km 146.0 - Col du Fût d'Avenas - 5.2 km climb to 5.1 % - Category 2
* Km 156.0 - Col de Fontmartin - 3.6 km climb to 5.8 % - Category 3

Nothing there to threaten the more adaptable sprinters, unless someone like Vino gets it into his head to stir the pot.
With 35kms off the top of the final climb, it would seem unlikely, though.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Mass sprint again. Season starts on Thursday.

 

[search]

I agree that it's unlikely to see a major split in the bunch but there are a lot of riders which are a couple of minutes back in the gc, they may stay in front till the finish tomorrow as HTC won't be too encouraged to threaten the jersey in a sprint versus Haussler and Sagan may be injured, Liquigas won't waste their energy. Of course, Garmin and Sky will be interested in a sprint, but the stage thursday gonna be difficult again...depends on who is in the group, but they have a fair chance to stick in front.

 

[hfer07]

TVoeckler, Vino, Lulu, Samu, Roche, Casar-even Voigt - tomorrow some legs are going to hurt big time

 

[Jamsque]

The course will be as hard as they race it. If there are attacks all day a lot of the sprinters will probably get dropped.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

An intermediate parcours. To me it looks tough enough to part Goss and the jersey, but not to split up the overall contenders. I'd plump for Sagan to win here normally, but we probably can't expect 100% from him after another crash. Rojas, or Bole, or Feillu possibly. Anyone have any other scenarios than a depleted bunch sprint?

Yeah. Full bunch sprint.

It's 45Kms from the last Cat2, the Col du Fût d'Avenas, and I'd be surprised if it doesn't all come back together for the usual suspects. It's hard to see past Goss and Haussler, especially now that everyone knows that Thomas Geraint's wheel is the place to be.

 

[Arnout]

Sicard drops out, knee problems.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The course will be as hard as they race it. If there are attacks all day a lot of the sprinters will probably get dropped.

Of course.
However, having 35kms of mostly downhill will most likely curb the rider's enthusiasm.

Still, not as bad as Saturday's downhill to the finish again, route.
That one has 64kms to run after the last catagorized climb.
Although I do seem to recall that the technology park is up a bit of a hill.

 

[Cobblestoned]

I smell a HUGE Vino-attack coming early in race, hurting the peloton and the THC-boys really hard.

 

[William H]

There's a big climb on thursday, and a time trial on friday. Tomorrow will be quiet.

 

[Ryaguas]

Tommy "Crazy" Voeckler and Vino to attack big time tomorrow... but HTC and Garmin huting them 5kms before the finish... I'll pick Romain Feillu again... hahaha come on Romain!

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I'm sure that I'm late to the party, but looking at this closely, it appears Sagan rolled his rear tubie.

 

[Jukebox]

Feillu is my pick.

 

[unsheath]

Feillu's the classic flat track bully. Can get wins in the small races but nowhere to be seen when the big boys turn up.

 

[hrotha]

Unless there's attacks left and right the whole day, I don't see the likes of Goss and Haussler being dropped.

 

[boomcie]

Nikolas Maes abandons, due to his fall in yesterday's sprint.

 

[Ney the Viking]

We just need Vino Voeckler and Voigt to attack on the first climb to create the break of the day, maybe with some help, that would makethe stage interesting

 

[Francois the Postman]

Another silly profile. That cat 2 looks like an alp, but it is exactly the same as today's climb.

That is one of my pet-peeves with these inflated profile overviews too. I find myself hunting around for the actual unhyped profiles for these type of stages more and more.

Sometimes a picture tells 2000 words, including a 1000 unsolicited ones.

 

[jens_attacks]

probably nothing will happen,bunch sprint again...goss or haussler.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like a stage when a break could stay clear.

I'd fancy an Euskaltel rider to be prominent as they've been fairly quiet in this race.

 

[Roland Rat]

I hope either Vino or an Euskatel rider wins today. Simply because then BMC will be one step closer to being the last team not to win this season.

 

[Grzdylu]

Early break:

Voeckler, Di Gregorio, Pauriol, De Gendt, De Greef.

 

[theyoungest]

On the attack: De Gendt, Voeckler and Pauriol.
25 secs behind, Francis de Greef (OLO) and Remy Di Gregorio (Astana)