Key points:
 The 77th edition of Paris-Nice starts with a stage around the royal city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Weather conditions could create echelons and hamper chances of a bunch sprint finish.
 Before the mountain battles at the end of the week, sprinters will however have several opportunities to shine. The competition should be fierce between Paris-Nice first-timers Mark Cavendish and Caleb Ewan but also Marcel Kittel, John Degenkolb, Alexander Kristoff, Dylan Groenewegen, Arnaud Demare, Andre Greipel, Sam Bennett or Christophe Laporte.

A SPRINTER IN THE YELLOW JERSEY?
The design of stage 1 could point to a classic start to this 77th edition of Paris-Nice. A 138.5- kms circle around St Germain-en-Laye without any serious bump, it could normmaly lead to a bunch sprint. But after the Rambouillet forest, the peloton will tackle wind-exposed sections which could lead to decisive attacks according to race director Francois Lemarchand: “With the wind conditions forecast on Sunday, it is quite possible that echelons lead some Paris-Nice favourites to lose the race on day one. We’re not certain to have a bunch sprint even with such a sprinters field and with a long 4-km stretch in the finale.” Lemarchand also staged an intermediate sprint 3 km from the finish line to spice things up. “It’s 3 km from the finish and it’s not impossible that we’ll see the favourites battle it out for bonus seconds.”
ARRIETA (MOVISTAR): “WE’RE HERE TO RETAIN OUR TITLE”
Movistar team director Jose Luis Arrieta said the Spanish outfit was back on Paris-Nice to retain the crown won a year ago by Spain’s Marc Soler. “Of course our goal is to retain our title with Marc but also with Nairo Quitnana. Marc has been progressing each year and he is eager to retain his crown. But Nairo is also here to do his best,” he told letour.fr. “He rode quite a lot in Colombia already. The Turini pass probably suits Nairo better but the time-trial suits Marc better. So the race will decide,” he added.
HEYNDERICKX: “CAVENDISH WILL BE BACK FOR SURE”
Mark Cavendish is taking part in his first Paris-Nice after 14 pro seasons hoping to gauge his form after being side-lined by an Epstein-Barr virus. “It was not easy for Mark to come back after his disease. But if he’s here, it is to go for the bunch sprints, even if the field is a strong one. Don’t worry, he’ll be back,” Dimension Data team director Jean-Pierre Heynderickx told letour.fr “For the GC, our leader is Luis Meintjes. The Turini is a pass for strong climbers and it should suit him. Our goal for him is a top 10 finish,” he added.
MARC SERGEANT: “OUR GOAL IS TO WIN A STAGE WITH CALEB EWAN”
Lotto-Soudal team director Marc Sergeant made it clear that the aim of his team on this Paris-Nice was to win a stage with Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan. “Our goal is a simple one. We’re here to win a stage with Caleb. There are at least three chances to have a bunch sprint. But there are other good sprinters here and it won’t be that easy. I think Caleb is on the right track. He won one already”, he told letour.fr. Sergeant added that the other hope for the team was for Thomas De Gendt to go for another stage as GC hopes were slim. “At the last moment, Tim Wellens decided not to come because he finds the Turini too hard. He should know as he lives in Monaco. Then we also have a chance to win a stage with Thomas De Gendt, who is always capable of winning one.”
GUIBERTEAU: “ALL FOR LAPORTE”
Cofidis team director Christian Guiberteau told letour.fr that the French outfit were pinning all their hopes on Christophe Laporte. “The entry list is impressive. Our main asset here is Christophe Laporte for the sprints. We also have Nicolas Edet who has chances in the mountains especially as the polka-dot jersey is within reach in Paris-Nice. The Race to the Sun is not always true to its name. We will see what kind of weather we have on the Turini,” he said.
PARIS-NICE CHALLENGE
After three superb initial editions, Paris-Nice Challenge will be back on Saturday 16th March, the day before the professionals reach the race’s finish. This cyclo-sportive that winds through the countryside around Nice is the first major event of the season. It offers amateur cyclists the opportunity of riding along the same route as the last stage of Paris-Nice, just 24 hours before the professional pack.
Information and registration on timeto.com and www.parisnicechallenge.com
Stage 1:

@ASO

Key points:
 Following finishes at altitude contested at La Madone d’Utelle (2016), the col de la Couillole pass (2017), the Colmiane resort (2018) or a little further away at the Montagne de Lure climb (2009, 2013), this year the pack will take part in a titanic battle on the slopes leading to the Col de Turini pass, the day before the end of the race.
 With their eyes on this queen stage, the most meticulous climbers have already reconnoitred this brand new climb for the race, on which the title for the 77th edition should be decided. In training, Warren Barguil has been the quickest so far!

The col du Turini pass is the season’s first high point. Ask any rally driver, and they will tell you the same. Since the 1960’s, it has been a fixture on the Monte Carlo Rally to open the World Championships and the special stage raced on its slopes has become one of the most decisive. Indeed, the “Turini Nights” stand out as one of the most fun and atmospheric on the international circuit, despite the negative temperatures. However, this year it will be the cyclists’ turn to climb up to the pass, powered by their calf muscles and in the opposite direction to the speedsters boasting 400 horsepower. An eight-time winner of the Monte Carlo rally and a keen amateur cyclist, Sébastien Loeb has expert knowledge of the site and admits that he “definitely prefers climbing it in a car”, which means he can do it at an average speed of almost 90 kmph. On 16th March, for the queen stage of the 2019 edition of Paris-Nice, the speeds will obviously be much more moderate all along the 14.9 km climb, with an average gradient of 7.3%.
Yet, this overall topological data only tells part of the story of just how difficult this challenge will be for the riders on Paris-Nice, according to race director François Lemarchand: “It’s a very irregular climb, with very steep sections and others that are less demanding. It’s also a route with very tight hairpin bends, which makes it so spectacular for the rally. In actual fact, the hardest part at this point of the season is that the riders are not yet used to such long climbs, especially after six days of competition which are set to be intense. Will the very best climbers already be able to draw on all of their qualities by that day? You would think so, because in general they undergo increasingly better preparation for races at the start of the season, but nothing can be certain”.
Warren Barguil: “It’s harder than La Couillole and harder than La Madone d’Utelle, like a genuine stage from Le Tour”.

Speaking of prior preparation for this major battle, Warren Barguil is among those who have applied themselves to it diligently. The climber from Brittany has even achieved the best time up the climb among riders equipped with Strava timing equipment, ahead of Romain Bardet who visited the site several days earlier. “It’s important to reconnoitre it. I also did the entire approach, because we will have to tackle the Côte de Pélasque slope beforehand and in total there will be 4,600 metres of gradient during the stage,” explained the Polka Dot Jersey winner on the 2017 Tour de France. “It’s a genuine high altitude pass, because we’ll be finishing above 1,600 metres”. Well aware of the decisive status that this stage assumes, Barguil is counting on the Col de Turini to launch his season in the best possible way: “In comparison to previous years, I think it’s harder, for example, than La Couillole and harder than La Madone d’Utelle, where I’ve also ridden again recently. It’s irregular, but there aren’t many moments of respite. It’s like a genuine stage from the Tour de France”.
Naturally, all the specialists will be aiming to put their name on the roll of honour at the Col Turini, as Richie Porte did at the Col de La Couillole pass two years ago with an amazing show of strength. The Australian, who will again be riding not far from his home on the final weekend of Paris-Nice, could be in ideal shape to pick up a third title on the event. In any case, the new leader of the Trek team is not ruling anything out even if he is remaining cautious: “Seeing as I live in Monaco, the Col de Turini is one of my regular climbs at several points during the year, but not really in winter because it’s often covered in snow. It’s a fine climb and I’m glad that the battle for Paris-Nice will be taking place there. In actual fact, I think that the Col de Turini is better suited to me than the climb up La Couillole. It’s long and never easy, even if the last five kilometres are fairly regular. That said, on Paris-Nice, you never know if the pretenders for the general classification will arrive intact for the queen stage”. Clearly, Porte remembers that he was not in the reckoning for victory on the morning before the climb up La Couillole, after having lost more than 14 minutes on the second day of racing. Paris-Nice can be lost at any point during the week… and is likely to be won on the Col de Turini.

The Col de Turini on the Tour de France
The pass has been climbed three times by the pack on the Grande Boucle.
. 1948: San Remo > Cannes (L. Bobet led at the summit and won the stage)
. 1950: Menton > Nice (J. Robic led at the summit, but F. Kubler won the stage)
. 1973: Embrun > Nice (V. Lopez-Carril led at the summit and won the stage)

PARIS-NICE CHALLENGE
After three superb initial editions, Paris-Nice Challenge will be back on Saturday 16th March, the day before the professionals reach the race’s finish. This cyclo-sportive that winds through the countryside around Nice is the first major event of the season. It offers amateur cyclists the opportunity of riding along the same route as the last stage of Paris-Nice, just 24 hours before the professional pack.
Information and registration on timeto.com and www.parisnicechallenge.com
@ASO

Key points:
 From this coming 10 to 17 March, edition 77 of Paris-Nice will kick-off the major European stage race season. Sticking to tradition from the Yvelines Department to the French Riviera, the opening stages promise high-intensity sprints with a battle of generations between Mark Cavendish, Caleb Ewan, André Greipel and Alexander Kristoff.
 Excluding an unforeseen surprise, the decisive stages begin on day six, with a 25-kilometre time trial, followed by a weekend reserved for the climbers. The battle to come on top on the Col de Turini pass will be between a Columbian armada, led most notably by Nairo Quintana as well as Egan Bernal, and Richie Porte, Simon Yates, defending Paris-Nice champion Marc Soler and Romain Bardet.
This is the start of the season for everyone. Whether they are a sprinter, rouleur, climber or team mate, the serious business gets underway with Paris-Nice, the first WorldTour stage race of the year contested on European soil. For this race that sparks the conversations among the prognosticators, the roles seem straight forward where it will be the sprinters in the spotlight for the first day of action in the affluent Parisian suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. And even though a similar scenario will be expected the following day in Bellegarde and then the day after that in Moulins, there will not be enough flower bouquets to go around for all the world-class sprinters that will line up at the start. In addition to Arnaud Démare, Dylan Groenewegen, John Degenkolb, Michael Matthews, Sam Bennett, Sonny Colbrelli, André Greipel and Alexander Kristoff who have all enjoyed success on Paris-Nice, the aforementioned sprint finals have peaked the interest of Mark Cavendish, who will make his debut in the race as will Caleb Ewan, and French riders Christophe Laporte and Bryan Coquard who will all pose a serious threat in these sprints. Only the strongest among them will be concerned about the finish at Pélussin whose surroundings could inspire attackers at the half-distance point of the race but also create a first selection among the favourites. Whoever is the big winner in this series of races, these riders will have a small chance to battle again at Brignoles if they manage to spoil the illusions of the breakaway specialists, but more surely, they will battle again a few days later in San Remo. And an entirely different strategy will take over after the Barbentane individual time-trial.

If Paris-Nice had to be raced in a national team format, Columbia would have the strongest line-up with six of its ten representatives on the provisional entry list from Nairo Quintana, to Esteban Chaves, Miguel Ángel López, Egan Bernal, Sergio Henao and Rigoberto Urán all are credible candidates for the overall victory. They will not necessarily be the fastest on the 25km time-trial on the outskirts of Avignon, where Richie Porte, Michal Kwiatkowski and Bob Jungels should feel right at home. However, they will be expected to star on the marquee stage, and its mountain finish on the Col de Turini, where it will be a nearly 15km long battle royal among the climbers that will include defending Paris-Nice champion Marc Soler, as well as Simon Yates, Romain Bardet, Domenico Pozzovivo, Ilnur Zakarin, Pierre Rolland, Warren Barguil or Lilian Calmejane. It will be when they reach the summit that they will know if they still have a chance for the win at the conclusion of the Nice stage on Sunday. Every one of them knows it is going to be a nail biter!

23 teams, the main participants (as of 26/02)
Australia
Michelton-Scott: Chaves (Col), S.Yates (Gbr), Trentin (Ita)
Bahrain
Bahrain-Merida: Pozzovivo, Colbrelli (Ita), Teuns (Bel)
Belgium
Deuceninck-Quick-Step: Jungels (Lux), Gilbert (Bel), Jakobsen (Nld)
Lotto-Soudal: Ewan (Aus), De Gendt (Bel)
France
AG2R La Mondiale: Bardet, Gallopin (Fra), Naesen (Bel)
Groupama-FDJ: Démare, Molard (Fra)
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits: Laporte, Edet (Fra)
Direct Energie: Calmejane (Fra), Terpstra (Nld)
Team Arkea-Samsic: Barguil (Fra), Greipel (Deu)
Delko Marseille Provence: Navardauskas, Siskevicius (Ltu)
Vital Concept-B&B Hotels: Rolland, Coquard, Gautier, Vichot (Fra)
Germany
Team Sunweb: Matthews (Aus), Kelderman (Nld)
Bora-Hansgrohe: S.Bennett (Irl), Grossschartner (Aut)
Great Britain
Team Sky: Bernal (Col), Kwiatkowski (Pol)
Kazakhstan
Astana Pro Team: Lopez (Col), I.Izagirre, G.Izagirre, LL.Sánchez (Esp), Cort Nielsen (Dnk)
Netherlands
Team Jumbo-Visma: Groenewegen (Nld), G.Bennett (Nzl)
Poland
CCC Team: De Marchi (Ita), Ten Dam (Nld)
South Africa
Team Dimension Data: Cavendish (Gbr), Boasson Hagen (Nor)
Spain
Movistar Team: Soler (Esp), Quintana, Anacona (Col)
Switzerland
Team Katusha Alpecin: Zakarin (Rus)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Henao (Col), Kristoff (Nor)
USA
Trek-Segafredo: Porte (Aus), Degenkolb (Ger), Pantano (Col)
EF Education First: Urán, Martínez (Col), Van Garderen (Usa)

PARIS-NICE CHALLENGE
After three superb initial editions, Paris-Nice Challenge will be back on Saturday 16th March, the day before the professionals reach the race’s finish. This cyclo-sportive that winds through the countryside around Nice is the first major event of the season. It offers amateur cyclists the opportunity of riding along the same route as the last stage of Paris-Nice, just 24 hours before the professional pack.
Information and registration on timeto.com and www.parisnicechallenge.com
@ASO

Key points :
 The 76th edition of Paris-Nice, which will take place between 4th and 11th March, will be whetting the appetites of ambitious pretenders to the crown such as Dan Martin, Tejay van Garderen or Esteban Chaves, who will be attempting to put an end to the domination of Team Sky, represented by title holder Sergio Henao.
 The Race to the Sun could also smile on combative French riders: Julian Alaphilippe, Tony Gallopin and Warren Barguil are not setting themselves any limits. As for Nacer Bouhanni and Arnaud Démare, they will be concentrating on the stages for the sprinters, but will have to battle with Kittel, Kristoff, Greipel and Groenewegen…
Each start to the season throws up a batch of uncertainties, raises new questions and gives opportunities to hitherto unknown riders or riders reaching maturity. Indeed, very often Paris-Nice is the stage on which the first impressions are either confirmed or swept away. In this respect, the 2018 vintage is open to a renewal of the ranks, even if Team Sky will be lining up with the title holder Sergio Henao, who started the season with a victorious defence of his Colombian Champion’s jersey. This year, neither Alberto Contador nor Richie Porte will be barring his way, but this also means that the many pretenders for victory will be all the more uninhibited. Having failed to climb higher than the 3rd step on the podium in 2017, Dan Martin is perhaps about to start a season that will be his biggest challenge to date, in his new UAE-Emirates jersey, whilst the rocket otherwise known as Esteban Chaves could finally take off this year, as hinted towards with triumph on the Tour Down Under. It will be no surprise to see Tejay van Garderen taste victory on the time-trial in Saint-Etienne and boss an event that he has never completely tamed (5th in 2012 and 4th in 2013), or to see Jakob Fuglsang (3rd on the Tour of Valencia and 4th in Andalusia) dominate the competition at the resort of Colmiane in a similar manner to his winning ride on the Dauphiné at the Plateau de Solaison. Similarly, Ilnur Zakarin could perhaps seize the opportunity to win a stage race that has escaped him since the Tour of Romandie in 2015, if he shows as convincing form as on the day of his victory at the Madone d’Utelle (in 2016).

However, these new circumstances also hang on the capacity of the French riders to battle with the best on a route that seems well-suited to the potential of certain Gallic leaders. For example, the finish on the stage into Meudon looks like an invitation for Julian Alaphilippe to make a break for the first yellow jersey of the week. A stage victory on his first race this year in Colombia gives him at least legitimate hopes of doing so, as well as improving on a final 5th place obtained in Nice last year. This will also be the goal of Tony Gallopin (6th in 2015), who has shown himself to be on especially good form in his new colours of AG2R – La Mondiale, winning the Etoile de Bessèges and coming 2nd on the Tour of Provence. Also with a brand new jersey, Warren Barguil will be counting on the final three stages of Paris-Nice to launch a season worthy of his performance on Le Tour in 2017. Lilian Calmejane may also be looking to convert the polka dot jersey won one year ago into a yellow one.

French hopes in the general classification will be accompanied by the prospects of their two best sprinters, Nacer Bouhanni and Arnaud Démare, who should find opportunities to express themselves in Vierzon (stage 2), Chatel-Guyon (stage 3) and why not in Sisteron (stage 5). Both men will be looking toward the Via Roma in San Remo, which will also be in the sights of other former winners on Paris-Nice such as Sam Bennett, Marcel Kittel, André Greipel or Alexander Kristoff. There will not be enough winners’ bouquets for everybody.

22 teams: the main participants (as of 22/02/18)
Australia
Michelton-Scott: Chaves (Col), S.Yates (GB), Trentin (Ita)
Bahrain
Bahrain-Merida: G.Izagirre, I.Izagirre (Spa)
Belgium
Quick-Step Floors: Alaphilippe (Fra), Viviani (Ita)
Lotto-Soudal: Wellens, De Gendt (Bel), Greipel (Ger)
France
AG2R La Mondiale: Gallopin, Vuillermoz (Fra), Naesen (Bel)
Groupama-FDJ: Démare, Molard (Fra)
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits: Bouhanni, Laporte (Fra), Jes.Herrada (Spa)
Direct Energie: Chavanel, Calmejane (Fra), Taaramae (Est)
Team Fortuneo-Samsic: Barguil, Pichon, Périchon (Fra)
Delko Marseille Provence KTM: Di Gregorio (Fra), Siskevicius (Lit)
Germany
Team Sunweb: Oomen (NL), Bauhaus (Ger)
Bora-Hansgrohe: Bennett (Irl), Kennaugh (GB)
Great Britain
Team Sky: Ser.Henao (Col), Poels (NL), Lopez, De la Cruz (Spa)
Kazakhstan
Astana Pro Team: Fuglsang (Den), LL. Sanchez (Spa), Valgren (Den)
Netherlands
Team Lotto NL-Jumbo: Boom, Groenewegen, Gesink (NL)
South Africa
Team Dimension Data: Slagter (NL), Pauwels (Bel), Berhane (Ery)
Spain
Movistar Team: Soler (Esp), Sepulveda (Arg)
Switzerland
Team Katusha Alpecin: Kittel (Ger), Zakarin (Rus)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Martin (Irl), Kristoff (Nor), Costa (Por)
USA
BMC Racing Team: Van Garderen (USA), Drucker (Lux), Roche (Irl)
Team EF Education First Drapac Cannondale: Rolland (Fra), McLay (GB)
Trek-Segafredo: Degenkolb (Ger), Mollema (NL), Pantano (Col)

PARIS-NICE CHALLENGE
After having welcomed more than 1,300 cyclists for its second edition in 2017, Paris-Nice Challenge will be back on Saturday 10th March 2018, the day before the finish of the professional’s race. This amateur cycling event, in the countryside around Nice, is the first major event of the season. It will give amateur cyclists the opportunity to tackle the route on the last stage of Paris-Nice, merely 24 hours before the professional pack.

Information and registration on www.asochallenges.com and www.parisnicechallenge.com

Text:ASO
Veröffentlicht durch Gerhard Plomitzer