While the two departments had been placed on orange alert for strong winds, the organizers decided, after having first considered shortening it, to purely and simply cancel the stage which was to link Tourves (Var) to La Colle-sur -Loup (Alpes-Maritimes).

"It was not possible for us to ensure the safety of the race. Preserving the integrity of the riders and the spectators is our absolute priority", explained to AFP Pierre-Yves Thouault, deputy director of Cycling at Amaury. Sports Organization.

While the wind was already blowing very hard, with powerful gusts, at the scheduled start in Tourves, the organizers first neutralized the entire first part of the race, setting the new start at km 117.8 at La Fontaine d'Aragon .

Before realizing that it was too dangerous for the runners and the public to maintain the race.

"We waited a bit until 1:00 p.m. On arrival, we had already removed a number of signs. But when the gendarmes and my road teams went on the route, they saw fallen trees, they took tiles on the car. We are not going to do anything", underlined Mr. Thouault, adding: "Paris-Nice that's it, it's sometimes complicated weather conditions".

Paris-Nice followers after the cancellation of the 6th stage which was to be held between Tourves and La Colle-sur-Loup, in the Var, on March 10, 2023 © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP

"Too dangerous"

The general classification therefore remains frozen with Slovenian Tadej Pogacar still in yellow, ahead of Frenchman David Gaudu and Dane Jonas Vingegaard, before the last two stages this weekend around Nice where the wind should blow a little less strongly, even if the organizers say they remain "vigilant".

The leader of the UAE Emirates team, Tadej Pogacar, yellow jersey of Paris-Nice, at the start of the 6th stage, finally canceled, on March 10, 2023 in Tourves © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP

To reward the public who had moved, the runners just made a fictitious double passage on the starting line in Tourves, before boarding their respective buses to join first the new start, and finally directly their hotel.

Even before learning of the cancellation of the stage, Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the last Tour de France and third overall, had already mentioned the weather conditions.

"With gusts of 100 km/h, it's not possible to run, it's too dangerous. Even in Denmark I don't go out when it's blowing so much. I weigh 60 kilos, I couldn't hold on to the bike with such a wind. You have to be careful not to end up in the ditch," said the Dane.

The winds also changed the queen stage of this week's other major stage race, Tirreno-Adriatico, on Friday, where the final climb was shortened by two kilometers, Italian organizers announced.

© 2023 AFP