Paris Nice - Stage 7 - Brignoles → Biot - Sophia Antipolis - 216km

[Sasquatch]

Final km is 6%, they would need a strong team to keep it together long enough for them to have a sprint at it.

That I didn't know.

Perfect for Vino to launch an attack.

 

[thirteen]

final 22km of T-A are now showing on a live feed if people are interested.

ta, thanks for the reminder!

 

[miha1234]

Any live stream yet ?

Thanks!

 

[Boardslide]

Any live stream yet ?

Thanks!

Live on UK Eurosport2 now

 

[miha1234]

Live on UK Eurosport2 now

Any live stream?

I do not Euro sport UK.


Thanks!

 

[Tuarts]

The riders don't have to watch the tedious rubbish they sometimes serve up. So yes, to the riders the Big Bear stage may have been really exciting, but to us watching at home it was dreadful.

Don't really care what race you use as an example (even one where your opinion is so prejudiced) but racing is and always will be for the riders foremost. If they don't ride for themselves first what is the point?

 

[Boardslide]

Any live stream?

I do not Euro sport UK.


Thanks!

Sorry I should have said for anyone interested in an alternative.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Don't really care what race you use as an example (even one where your opinion is so prejudiced) but racing is and always will be for the riders foremost. If they don't ride for themselves first what is the point?

Point taken, but ultimately without fans there would be no sponsors, no money, no races organised.

The racers are not beholden to entertain us, but if it isn't entertaining, then there won't be enough money or support to put on those races.

If the race is really tough for the riders but provides little to no entertainment value, then what's the point? If the riders are being put through hell, there should be some reward. What you want is races that are tough enough to challenge the riders, but that have the opportunity to provide entertainment. Constantly dragging uphill at 3-4% for 100km is energy sapping for the riders, but there's nothing to create separation and attract fans to watch it. At which point the riders are just turning themselves inside out for no reason whatsoever.

 

[Tuarts]

Anglophone stream is up:

http://mypremium.tv/

 

[Tuarts]

Point taken, but ultimately without fans there would be no sponsors, no money, no races organised.

The racers are not beholden to entertain us, but if it isn't entertaining, then there won't be enough money or support to put on those races.

Then it becomes a case of fans expectations that may be a bit too unrealistic. They see something like the last 20km of T-A and expect it all the time. Maybe its because being an Aussie, we are starved of pretty much any cycling (it is getting better tbf) that I enjoy watching any cycling I can. Also every rider has such a unique story and race plan that I just love it regardless.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Then it becomes a case of fans expectations that may be a bit too unrealistic. They see something like the last 20km of T-A and expect it all the time. Maybe its because being an Aussie, we are starved of pretty much any cycling (it is getting better tbf) that I enjoy watching any cycling I can. Also every rider has such a unique story and race plan that I just love it regardless.

I just expect Paris-Nice to be something like the Paris-Nice that I know and love. My expectation is not that we have the Giro 2010 crammed into one week. My expectation is that we will see something akin to previous editions of the race, and those expectations have not been fulfilled or even close.

Would it be nice to see something like the last 20km of T-A all the time? Sure. We can't manage that all the time. But I would like to see Paris-Nice actually given a parcours worthy of the race's illustrious history.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Looks miserable. Should finish about 6pmCET.
Bit of a mad circuit to finish, according to Harmoan.

I see the loving and hating of this P-N edition rumbles on.

 

[thrawn]

wow, a bmc rider still in the peloton. and one in the break too?? i thought all their good riders were in italy

 

[Cobblestoned]

I think Tony Martin is a worthy P-N Champion. He's a fantastic rider and I love watching him turn himself inside out - he does not make it look easy. I hope a big win like this gives him an itch to really see what he can do with his future. Is his contract up this year? It would be great to see him using that power to make the peloton chase him instead of him leading the peloton against the break.

My disappointment with this race has been that we never really got to see serious climbing. Even if it were only for a few minutes, I would have liked to have seen the riders all suffering and feeling alone and out of the saddle. We just didn't get that.

For today, I'll cheer for a Frenchman in a breakaway or for a Vino/Astana win for Kivilev.

I saw many suffering riders so far and got something.
Many suffering today and fullgas in beginning, we just can't see it now. But stream should start now.
Anyway, you don't need just mountains to see riders suffering.
You may have fun today or on Sunday anyway. Never know.
Or do you need three to four 250km mountainstages, with 3 HC climbs and MTF HC in it ?
I don't need this so early and it makes no sense.
This is not the Giro or Tour, never was and will never. And we can't have the Ventoux every year.
This is the race to sun, light season opener and monster-mountainstages or super MTFs are the absolute exception there.

So, have a look and tell me where there was more climbing just in last edition.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/68th-paris-nice-his

I would even say there is more to climb this year. Just look.

Don't blame it on the race - you can perhaps blame it on the riders. For example that Schleckbrother who does nothing, or others like LL who were expected to animate the race more so far.
But race not finished yet and many many mountains on Sunday.

Animateur Nr.1 not here in this edition. Last year pistolero MTF pistoling up to Mende, out of saddle for 5 minutes and nearly without suffering.
You mean something like that you miss ?
Of course that was really really exceptional to see this.

Not complaining - but not really better IMO and just as expected.
People are always more happy when there are surprises they can talk about.
For example Klöden finishing Samy in sprint, while other big names couldn't even hold that group.

 

[Bala Verde]

wow still 80+ k to go...

 

[Cobblestoned]

Juhuuu

Ugly weather
http://embed.zonein.tv/plkgftdhgfhydfyhayer.php?id=262730&w=900&h=650

 

[Kwibus]

Oh just tuned it. With 80km to go a huge pack chasing some breakaway.
I'll check the last 3km again :/

This P-N isn't very interesting this way. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[Anonymous]

someone really needs to do something about this black rain jacket/numbers not visible issue.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So, have a look and tell me where there was more climbing just in last edition.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/68th-paris-nice-his

I would even say there is more to climb this year. Just look.

It's not what there is to climb, it's where they put it. If we didn't know that it finished with 65km of flat, and just said the list of mountains in stage 16 of last year's Tour, we'd have said "wow, what an epic stage". Instead, nothing happened, and Garmin started chasing the break down in case their 10th place was threatened.

And if last year's race was settled by 3k to Mende? Maybe - but the time gaps created by it weren't as great as that by the TT, and the penultimate stage actually had an interesting parcours, whereas this year it's a great big expanse of flat to the line, so either the group stays away cos HTC don't care about it with no GC threats, or, more likely considering they only have 3 minutes and we're 70km from home, it goes to a bunch sprint.

Hopefully somebody can do today what Tondó did last year. But I wouldn't expect it. Too flat for somebody to put that kind of pressure on solo.

 

[auscyclefan94]

any teams really working?

 

[Tuarts]

wow, a bmc rider still in the peloton. and one in the break too?? i thought all their good riders were in italy

They picked up half their riders en route on Stage 4. Turns out they were still (trying) to race last years TDF!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Judging by the tentative way the peloton have been descending, it's lucky they seem to have a great road surface.
Give it another hour before the racing proper starts.

Ooops spoke too soon. Westra and Lopez lope off the front.

 

[goggalor]

Haussler joins.

 

[Tuarts]

Westra and Lopez off the front - 2 others (Astana + Saxo) are chasing them

 

[Mellow Velo]

Haussler in the break, too.
Sean Kelly: "This is what we need, because it was getting a bit dull."
Anybody going to criticise Mr Kelly's opinion?