Paris-Nice 2023

andyp

The route for Paris-Nice was announced this morning, and Inrng has a good overview:

https://inrng.com/2023/01/paris-nice-route-2023/

Interesting to see a 32 km TTT on stage 3, with a rule change that gives the team's time to the first rider over the line, rather than the fifth.

Penultimate stage looks tough, the Couillole is a long climb for March at 15 kms.

Vingegaard is set to ride and is a likely favourite.

Pross

Feels like a bit of a novelty but not sure it will lead to the race being ridden much differently other than they can keep pushing if what would have been their final counter is struggling. Ineos can basically pootle around with their team leader whilst Ganna goes flat out to get their time which might be good if there was then a big mountain stage the next day but in reality it is unlikely any tactic will be quicker than keeping as many riders together for as long as possible. It's nice to see a race trying to innovate but I suspect it will utimately end up like that gridded mountain stage in the TDF a few years ago.

TheBigBean

Does the whole team get the time of the first rider or just the first rider?

ugo.santalucia

It shouldn't make any real difference. You still need the all team for 90% of the TT, then you can burn the matches and let the fastest guy can go for a sprint finish and gain maybe 5 seconds, as opposed to a traditional team finish

kingstongraham

TheBigBean said:

Does the whole team get the time of the first rider or just the first rider?

I think it's the same rules as now - anyone in the same group or ahead of the first counting rider gets that time, anyone behind gets their own time.

Except obviously there will now be nobody ahead of the first counting rider.

So for GC teams, they need the fastest strategy that also delivers the GC rider to the finish at the front. I think it could change things quite a bit, there's no point in only going as fast as your fifth best can keep up once you get to the last few kms.

pblakeney

Team burns it's matches and GC sprints to the finish, if going for GC?

rick_chasey

32km track sprint with a hanger-oner.

Pross

kingstongraham said:

TheBigBean said:

Does the whole team get the time of the first rider or just the first rider?

I think it's the same rules as now - anyone in the same group or ahead of the first counting rider gets that time, anyone behind gets their own time.

Except obviously there will now be nobody ahead of the first counting rider.

So for GC teams, they need the fastest strategy that also delivers the GC rider to the finish at the front. I think it could change things quite a bit, there's no point in only going as fast as your fifth best can keep up once you get to the last few kms.

Makes more sense, the way I skim read it made it sound like they all got the same time.

Mad_Malx

Inrng:

But every rider is credited with the time they cross the line, so a GC contender left behind by their team will lose time. Either way no longer is a team as fast as their fifth rider.

kingstongraham

I like it.

ddraver

If we have to keep the monstrosity of a TTT in a GC this seems like the least awful way of doing it...