Dan Martin's Paris-Nice was complicated last year by team mate Julian Alaphilippe taking the yellow jersey. But this year he is the clear leader of his team for the Race to the Sun.
Sam Bennett, Dan Martin, Nicolas Roche in Paris-Nice 2018
Dan Martin was 3rd overall in Paris Nice last year and Sam Bennett won a stage. And with those two riders, along with an in-form Nicolas Roche, in the 2018 edition, which starts tomorrow, expectations are high.
Irish fans may not have to wait too long for a result. Tomorrow’s opening stage concludes with a testing ramp to the finish line.
It is an approach that can suit Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) or Nicolas Roche (BMC Racing).
Martin is the leader of his team for the week-long race. He enjoyed a fantastic finale last year; attacking on the final day to make the general classification podium.
Advertisement
And while Tejay van Garderen leads BMC, Roche knows the roads in the last few days very well.
And having shown good legs at the Tour of Oman he will feel he can do a ride on the hardest days towards the back end of this race.
Sam Bennett will have a great chance on stage 2, which is flat. On stages 3 and 5 some of the sprinters who can also climb may feature in the fight for victory.
Bennett is definitely one of those, but whether he is at the front on those days depends on how the race is ridden; specifically how much the field regroups after the climbs on those days.
The opening stage takes the riders 134.5km from Chatou to Meudon. There are three cat 3 climbs along the way; the final one at the finish.
Monday’s second day is 187.5km from Orsonville to Vierzon and should end in a bunch finish. Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) will be looking to emulate the success he enjoyed last year and take another win.
Related News
The following day is 210km from Bourges to Châtel-Guyon. There’s a cat 3 ascent which is crested just 22km from the finish.
If Bennett could get over that there is also another kick up at the finish; though it is a profile he could conquer of he felt good.
The stage 4 TT is 18.1km from La Fouillouse to Saint-Étienne. And while it is not hilly, the roads are draggy.
The first real climbing takes place next Thursday when the riders race 165km from Salon-de-Provence to Sisteron.
There are cat 2 and cat 1 climbs in the opening 80km. The biggest of those is the Col de Lagarde d’Apt. However, it is peaked with almost 90km still to race and is unlikely to prove decisive.
It’s followed 20km later by the cat 3 Col du Negron, with another cat 3 ascent – Cote de la Marquise with 13km to race. That final climb is definitely close enough to the finish to encourage attacking.
Stage 6 on Friday is a 198km trek from Sisteron to Vence. It features four cat 2 ascents in the second half of the race, with the cat 1 Cote de la Colle Sur Loup crested just 5km from the finish.
Next Saturday’s penultimate stage has the makings of a great battle; 175km from Nice to Valdeblore La Colmiane.
There are three cat 2 climbs and two cat 1s; the final ascent the cat 1 to the summit finish.
As it did last year; the racing may once again go right down to the wire on the final stage.
It starts and finishes in Nice and is just 110km; with four cat climbs and two cat 1s before the tradition drop down into Nice for the seafront finale.
Topics
