Paris (AFP)
Home ! Julian Alaphilippe will have a time trial in his hometown, Saint-Amand-Montrond (Cher), in the 78th edition of Paris-Nice which has attracted a number of candidates for the yellow jersey of the Tour.
The Colombian Egan Bernal, outgoing winner, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic and Thibaut Pinot are announced at the start of the "race in the sun", just like + Alaf +, the hero of the 2019 Tour, who had passed the dead end last year.
"A stopwatch at Saint-Amand-Montrond is not linked to Julian, but we are very happy that he is coming," corrects race director François Lemarchand, who presented the route of the " race in the sun ", in the tradition of recent years.
First stages exposed to the wind and conducive to curbs, chrono of limited but significant length (15.1 km) in the middle of the week and verdict at the top on the eve of arrival: the recipe convinced the teams who wish to be confronted with the situations encountered in the Tour de France in the summer.
"It is more and more the repetition of the Tour", underlines François Lemarchand especially as the start of the Grande Boucle on June 27 will be given from Nice. "This year, after Paris-Nice, there will also be Nice-Paris, in three weeks and in summer," added the joking director of the Tour Christian Prudhomme.
- For sprinters too -
"At one time, the great leaders were not warm to come to Paris-Nice. But, in a cycling whose level rises more and more, they find the opportunity to be confronted in racing conditions to a maximum of situations, "says François Lemarchand.
Jumbo has planned a Tour-style formation (Roglic, Kruijswijk, G. Bennett, Gesink), Sky a group around Bernal, the winner of the 2019 Tour, taking into account the unknown represented by the Briton Chris Froome. Other riders of big laps appear on the first list of organizers (Quintana, Pogacar, MA Lopez, Mas, Barguil, Latour).
Paradoxically, the route is also suitable for sprinters (Ewan, S. Bennett, Trentin) who have three or even four occasions in the first half of the week (Plaisir, Chalette-sur-Loing, La Châtre, La Côte-Saint-André ). Before the last three days with an uneven profile, mainly on Saturday for the arrival at the top of La Colmiane (16 km at 6.2%), where the Briton Simon Yates won in 2018.
Significant change compared to previous years, the route of the last loop stage around Nice has been modified and the final passing by Peille and Eze abandoned. "The last downhill is very technical, notes the race director. Then, to reach the finish line which will be installed in front of the Allianz Rivera stadium, there are only 5 kilometers". Everything will therefore remain possible in a race which is traditionally played in seconds.
Steps:
March 8: 1st stage Plaisir (Yvelines) - Plaisir, 154 km
March 9: 2nd stage Chevreuse (Yvelines) - Chalette-sur-Loing (Loiret), 166.5 km
March 10: 3rd stage Chalette-sur-Loing (Loiret) - La Châtre (Indre), 212.5 km
March 11: 4th stage Saint-Amand-Montrond (Cher) - Saint-Amand-Montrond, 15.1 km (individual time trial)
March 12: 5th stage Gannat (Allier) - La Côte-Saint-André (Isère), 227 km
March 13: 6th stage Sorgues (Vaucluse) - Apt (Vaucluse), 160.5 km
March 14: 7th stage Nice - Valdeblore La Colmiane (Alpes-Maritimes), 166.5 km
March 15: 8th stage Nice - Nice, 113.5 km
The teams (according to the organizers list):
WorldTour:
AG2R La Mondiale (Latour / FRA, O. Naesen / BEL, Cosnefroy / FRA), Astana (MA Lopez / COL), Bahrain, Bora, CCC (Zakarin / RUS), Cofidis (Laporte / FRA), Deceuninck (Alaphilippe / FRA ), Education First, Groupama-FDJ (Pinot / FRA, Madouas / FRA), Ineos (Bernal / COL), Israël SN, Jumbo (Roglic / SLO, Kruijswijk / NED), Lotto (Ewan / AUS, Wellens / BEL), Mitchelton, Movistar (MAS / ESP), NTT, Sunweb, Trek, UAE Emirates (Pogacar / SLO, Kristoff / NOR)
Continental Pro:
Arkea-Samsic (Quintana / COL, Barguil / FRA), Nippo Delko, Total DE
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