The traditional final stage is back after a two year hiatus. There’s a twist as the climb of the Col d’Eze uses a much steeper side road.
Stage 7 Review: the stage went as if it were scripted, the early breakaway didn’t have time to build up a buffer and on the final climb Steven Kruijswijk and then Rohan Dennis set the pace before Ineos tried the old 1-2, sending Adam Yates first as a decoy and then Dani Martinez. Primož Roglič was able to cover the moves and Simon Yates and Nairo Quintana joined them before Roglič launched his trademark uphill sprint to win the stage. The only surprise was João Almeida who caught the leaders in the finish.
The Route: just 115km and the usual loop into the hills. They leave Nice for a long neutral procession up the Var valley, a handy warm-up and then there’s hardly bit of flat road all stage. It’s all on the typical snaking roads of the region which constantly twist and turn their way up valleys and gorges.
With 55km to go, the race climbs out of the Paillon valley for the climb to Peille – the Col de St Pancrace to locals – and this is the hardest climb of the day. It’s listed as 6.6km at 6.8%, so worthy of a small Alpine pass on these stats alone but it’s the irregularity that makes it hard work with early sections of 9% and even 12% as it winds up a narrow road with so many bends that a rider need only get 50 metres’ lead to be out of sight. It levels out further up and once over the top comes a twisting descent to La Turbie and Eze with the short rise to the Col and then it’s down the Moyenne Corniche to the coast before climbing the Col d’Eze.
This difference this year is the race takes a shortcut rather than taking the main road of the Col d’Eze and because this road is much shorter, it’s also much steeper. And narrower too. It’s much more of a wall-like climb, the Chemin du Vinaigrier will sting with over a kilometre at 13%.
The Finish: a flat finish line and before that the run off the Corniche and the small rise around the 1km to go point.
The Contenders: the final stage has often seen the breakaway make it but often with only just. Brandon McNulty (UAE) is blowing hot and cold, we’ll see. On paper it’s a course for Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo). Mauri Vansevenant (Quick-Step) should like the punchy course. David de la Cruz (Astana) has won this stage twice before is ill. Søren Kragh Andersen (DSM) has tried many times in this race and the new Eze route won’t help.
Among the GC contenders who’s get the best sprint on the flat? If Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) comes in with his GC rivals he and his team will want the win but you’d forgive him for sitting up before the line to celebrate as well. Simon Yates (BikeExchange) has a good finish from a small group, ditto Adam Yates (Ineos) with the latter 4th overall and with less to lose than Simon who has a podium and much needed UCI points for his team.
 |
– |
 |
Brandon McNulty, João Almeida, Adam Yates |
 |
Roglič, |
Weather: race to the sun? Not this time and if plenty of riders have quit the race already, some of those left might have preferred to have bailed already, it’ll be 12°C, wet and windy.
TV: the finish is forecast for 4.55pm Euro time. It’s on France TV and Eurosport/GCN. If you’ve enjoyed watching Paris-Nice all week and then channel hopping to Tirreno-Adriatico, the timings are reversed with the last stage in Italy a likely sprint finish and due around 3.15pm CET.
I don’t keep records but it seems to me that the race to the sun is often a race to the wet. Pedersen seems to like bad weather … anyone else?
Kristoff is another rider you’d pick in a wet day. Harder among the climbers and picks for today, Ion Izaguirre who has win this stage here has been one.
Yeah as someone who these days watches cycling more for the soothing cinematography it’s felt more like ‘the race from the sun’… definitely better lighting and scenery up north this year.
The guy who just won TA might be best when climbing in the cold and wet. Though maybe we can dispense with the dependent clause. And the qualifier.
Last paragraph before the rings “Simon”? are you giving your name away?
Please zap.
The last bit about the Yates brothers didn’t go through. Think Simon may play it more cautiously but he’s often an agressive rider so we’ll see. Ineos may want something more than Martinez’s podium from this race, especially as it’s Nice where their sponsor is a big presence with the football team etc.
A wet stage on narrow, twisty descents?
Spells danger for someone, Roglic has previous for problems.
Why are there so many saint this and saint that in mid / southern France compared to the rest of the country, there’s a real marked change in place names as the stages progress?
Nervous day for Roglič. He’s won plenty of stage races but in France so far his biggest win has been the Tour de l’Ain. Asked if he was cursed in French stage races yesterday, he replied along the lines of “I’ll just pretend it’s Spain then”.
There’s a map of places across Europe with towns called Saint… San etc and most are in France but within France they’re spread evenly across, see https://biqdata.wyborcza.pl/biqdata/7,159116,22172206,the-map-of-holy-places-in-europe.html (it’s Wyborcza, the Polish newspaper, but the article’s in English)
To note on this topic, villages were often named after parishes or abbeys, and bear the names of churches and chapels (hence the Saint Somethingorother).
But some places also bear the name of a local saint. You’ll find those on major pilgrim ways, where many religious zealots would pass by and adore the remains of saints along the way. Because those were located onarge thoroughfares in the Middle Ages, they are sometimes still large places with a rich history. That is the case of St Etienne, a major city in central France, or the beautiful San Gimignano, which has appeared briefly on the Strade Bianche broadcast.
Merci, though is that behind a paywall or requires registration?
This is a good one, I guess I was thinking Loire and Rhône valleys but you’re right, Normandy and Brittany have plenty too –
https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/a-map-of-saintly-place-names-in-europe/
Saint Drogo of Sebourg 👍🏻
Sainte Barbara 👎
The ‘lan’ prefix in Breton has a similar effect, meaning churchyard. So Lan-someone is the church of St Someone.
Roglic just seemed to have 5% in hand on the final climb yesterday while Martinez, Yates and Quintana were at the limit. Roglic is also one (but not the only) of the anomalies for modern climbers being powerfully built while both Yates twins, Quintana, Gaudu and most of the others are flyweights.
Simon Yates can be a demon descender and the méteo shows intermittent light rain for Nice from 14h00. Could he test Roglic on the final desecent and hope to stay clear?
Yates can be a decent descender but my guess would be that he has too much of a deficit to make up to risk it.
65 kg is hardly “powerfully built”.
65kg is not much, but it is compared to Quintana and Gaudu.
It was heartening to see Monsieur Hulot come in 11th out of the 50 odd finishers!
Can we look forward to a “the moment the race was won” for Paris-Nice?
See http://inrng.com/2022/03/paris-nice-2022-review/ and feedback always welcome