Was Paris-Nice exciting this year?

[sacker]

Paris-Nice didn't seem as exciting as last year or the previous edition. What are your thoughts?

 

[BikeCentric]

Not all that exciting unless you get off on Contador domination.

 

[sacker]

Contador domination was amazing at first, but now it's just a formality. Going off topic, but I would personally love to see Andy Schleck win the Tour this year.

 

[Willy_Voet]

The Tours of Qatar and Oman were about 10x more exciting only for the Sky-Cervelo-Garmin pseudo-drama that unfolded.

Paris-Nice was about as exciting as boiled squash. Probably 1/2 due to the weather and 1/2 due to the expected winner.

At least MSR is this coming Sat. The last 15 mins of MSR will more than make up for P-N blandness, er, hope I haven't jinxed it.

 

[Angliru]

I must have been watching a different race. I found the Paris-Nice to be quite exciting especially the final stage with all the attacks and the fact that 2 French riders on different French teams were in a break that successfully made to finish, barely with Moinard finally getting his big win versus French fav Voeckler.

I actually found it more exciting than last year's because the eventual victor was not determined until Moinard and Voeckler crossed the finish ahead of Contador and Valverde.

 

[isayic]

Contador domination was amazing at first, but now it's just a formality. Going off topic, but I would personally love to see Andy Schleck win the Tour this year.

Domination is never a formality because too much can happen during a race -- crash, illness, a bad day ........
I don't want to see a Tour winner who wants to build a team with Marc Biver -- the man is a criminal.

 

[karlboss]

Dull? really? sure AC won as expected, but there were moments it looked less than secure, there were two french stage winners, sagan emerged as yet another young talent. Astana admitted they couldn't control all the breaks on their own. Wind played havic the first stage, second a little also. Would exciting racing meant Contador loses? Its not like he won by 3 minutes.

 

[Frosty]

I thought it was quite exciting. The stage winners were often in doubt until the end and ok, conty, was always favourite but valverde managing to jump away on the descent or even conty just missing a bend would have given a different overall winner.

As far as Contador and the tour go, i would like to see him lose a load of time early on after getting stuck behind a crash or messing up in crosswinds etc. Not from a vindictive point of view but it would be exciting to see him try and regain the time through attacking.

 

[cyclopeon]

I'm with you, I thought it was pretty exciting (would have been better if I had read the start time for Sunday and tuned in before it was over...... but at least there was the last half hour or so on Youtube)

Except for the stage with the mountain finish, nothing really seemed a foregone conclusion (and even that stage was not as dominated as many expected or hoped). Small gaps, hard racing, time bonuses, successful breaks, possible team imbalances -- Yeah, I thought it was exciting enough, although my pulse didn't exactly go up much sitting here . Not as exciting as last year's closing 2 stages, but up there. Mind you, I haven't seen a lot of Paris-Nices to compare with! And maybe I'm easily excited when there's still a couple of feet of snow in my yard.

 

[ravens]

It was the first time I watched it ....

and I enjoyed it.

I have yet to see Alberto compete and lose. I wonder how I'll take it when it happens.

 

[Angliru]

and I enjoyed it.

I have yet to see Alberto compete and lose. I wonder how I'll take it when it happens.

Now c'mon Ravens (at your avatar), he's not that bad!

 

[cyclegeek]

Good race competitive, and some new young talent. Fun.

 

[ravens]

Now c'mon Ravens (at your avatar), he's not that bad!

The point is, they shoulda left well enough alone! Like most people, I am nice until you mess with me. Except I am worse.

 

[Bike Boy]

To all of those who didn't find PN exciting, maybe you should find a new interest. I could mention a few things: Sagan, the cross wind, Contador pushing hard on col d'Eze despite ending up in a Caisse d'Epargne sandwich, Moinard's fantastic stagevictory and I probably left out a few things. this is cycling if you find it boring then I can't help you.

 

[BikeCentric]

Actually one thing I found slightly exciting was seeing Nicholas Roche break out.

On the whole I've just enjoyed T-A a lot more this year, much more dramatic stage finishes IMHO.

 

[Bike Boy]

Actually one thing I found slightly exciting was seeing Nicholas Roche break out.

On the whole I've just enjoyed T-A a lot more this year, much more dramatic stage finishes IMHO.

And only two seconds between Scarponi and Garzelli! that's very very close

 

[Wallace]

and I enjoyed it.

I have yet to see Alberto compete and lose. I wonder how I'll take it when it happens.

Umm, last year's Paris-Nice (insert up-speak)?

I thought it was a great race--very close margins. Even though AC was the obvious, dominating rider, it wasn't like everyone was bowing down to him.

As a side note: I have yet to watch a race, any race, where the forum posters immediately after didn't start going on about how boring it was to see a champion win, when a favored racer took a race. After both of Boonen's recent P-R victories there was a general internet consensus that the races had been the dullest P-Rs ever, which I though odd, because they both kept me on the edge of my seat, yelling at the computer/TV until the last minute. And Cancellara's MSR win--watching him time trial to the end--an astonishing athletic feat of one of the great riders of our time using his signal strength to take one of the monuments? There were no shortage of posters who watched it with the same feeling they feel when the mail man comes every afternoon at the same time. Yawn. There are some jaded people around here.

 

[karlboss]

Actually one thing I found slightly exciting was seeing Nicholas Roche break out.

On the whole I've just enjoyed T-A a lot more this year, much more dramatic stage finishes IMHO.

The course is better

 

[ravens]

Umm, last year's Paris-Nice (insert up-speak)?

FYI. My post said it was the 1st time I saw it. No biggie.

 

[Bike Boy]

Umm, last year's Paris-Nice (insert up-speak)?

I thought it was a great race--very close margins. Even though AC was the obvious, dominating rider, it wasn't like everyone was bowing down to him.

As a side note: I have yet to watch a race, any race, where the forum posters immediately after didn't start going on about how boring it was to see a champion win, when a favored racer took a race. After both of Boonen's recent P-R victories there was a general internet consensus that the races had been the dullest P-Rs ever, which I though odd, because they both kept me on the edge of my seat, yelling at the computer/TV until the last minute. And Cancellara's MSR win--watching him time trial to the end--an astonishing athletic feat of one of the great riders of our time using his signal strength to take one of the monuments? There were no shortage of posters who watched it with the same feeling they feel when the mail man comes every afternoon at the same time. Yawn. There are some jaded people around here.

That was quite something. I maybe biased but for me that was just one of the greatest perfomances in 2008. maybe only outshined by his perfomance in the olympic bike race where he secured the bronzemedal.

 

[franciep10]

You guys are trying to compare this year to last year which is unfair, it might not match up to last year but that doesn't mean it wasn't an exciting race. Unlike what the OP posted this win was not guaranteed for Contador.

 

[karlboss]

That was quite something. I maybe biased but for me that was just one of the greatest perfomances in 2008. maybe only outshined by his perfomance in the olympic bike race where he secured the bronzemedal.

Strange that a bronze medal may rate higher than a win...but it was bl00dy impressive, and as I like to mention to anyone who'll listen I was there

Silver if I recall rightly...rebellin was stripped.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I must have been watching a different race. I found the Paris-Nice to be quite exciting especially the final stage with all the attacks and the fact that 2 French riders on different French teams were in a break that successfully made to finish, barely with Moinard finally getting his big win versus French fav Voeckler.

I actually found it more exciting than last year's because the eventual victor was not determined until Moinard and Voeckler crossed the finish ahead of Contador and Valverde.

What you said. I also found Tondo's break in stage 6 very impressive.

For some reason, I've never been disappointed with Paris-Nice. It's consistently a favorite race of mine.

 

[taiwan]

It's the first time I've watched/ followed Paris-Nice. Really, I couldn't have asked for much more in terms of excitement, because:

There weren't really any field sprints, even on the flatter stages.
The GC was closer run that one might expect with Contador riding.
The young guys (Sagan and Taaramae) were showing incredible ability.
It's early season, many rider's form was unknown.
Boom and Voight, when they had the lead, defended it nicely, particularly Jens!

The only negative point I would add is that in the end it did, predictably, come down to the stage to Mende.

 

[Bike Boy]

Strange that a bronze medal may rate higher than a win...but it was bl00dy impressive, and as I like to mention to anyone who'll listen I was there

Silver if I recall rightly...rebellin was stripped.

That must have been amazing. And I like to mention as often as possible that I was in Verbier last summer 200 meters from the finish line.

You are absolutely right about Rebellin, but I never really cared about that. Take a look at Pereiro. Technically he's the winner of the tour de france 2006, yet somehow he never get to experience what it's like to win. He never really won the tour, because Landis stole that experience from him and that is why it's called cheating.
If something like that happened to me, I would be furious.