A strong Beaujolais

March 10 ^th 2021 - 04:30

The Gien time trial shook up the classification and established the first differences between the favourites to win the race in Nice, but these gaps pale in comparison to what we will see at the end of today's showdown in the hills of Beaujolais. First, the ascent of the Rock of Solutré will soften up both the leaders and their domestiques. Next up comes an up-and-down final circuit featuring a double serving of Mont Brouilly and the Col de Durbize in about sixty kilometres. Although it is not a full-blown mountain stage, the elevation gain of 3,550 m will be enough to show who is OK and who is KO when the road bends towards the sky. The smart money is on overall leader Stefan Bissegger and second-placed Rémi Cavagna paying the price for today's efforts in Chiroubles. In contrast, this could well be the moment that Primož Roglič, the highest-ranked favourite in the general classification, takes control of Paris–Nice. Even if he fails to deliver a serious blow, the Slovenian rider could feel the urge to put some time into his rivals and pad his margin ahead of the decisive weekend. Any mountain goat who is still within a minute of Roglič has a legitimate shot at a podium finish, but time is ticking, giving them yet another reason to go on the offensive as soon as today. Among them are young Brandon McNulty, currently 3 seconds down, and Søren Kragh Andersen, as well as reigning champion Max Schachmann, who is still determined to defend his crown. Astana's man for the general classification, Alexander Vlasov, remains within striking distance, 19 seconds behind the leader, unless his team decides to put all the chips on Ion Izagirre, no stranger to the top 10 in Paris–Nice. Bob Jungels (35″ behind Roglič), Tao Geoghegan Hart (41″) and Pierre Latour (46″) are other men to watch in the fight for the podium. Your move, gentlemen.