March 7, 2013

Another Abandon Leaves Paris-Nice on Cuspides After Stage 3

Mattia Cattaneo of Lampre-Merida and Kanstantsin Siutsou of Sky Procycling share les Cuspides of the fulcrum at the end of Stage 3 of the Paris-Nice spring classic. José Ivan Gutierrez of Movistar did not start the third stage, bringing the number of surviving riders in the race to an even 178.

Cattaneo is 3 minutes 14 seconds behind the latest leader of the race, the American Andrew Talansky of Garmin Sharp, and more than 17 minutes ahead of the new Lanterne Rouge, Yann Huguet of Team Argos-Shimano. Huguet, as you will recall, had the median time after the Prologue.

On the stage, Ruben Plaza of Movistar and Gustav Larsson of IAM Cycling finished on the cusp. And our Stage 1 Point d’Appui, Jerome Cousin, brought up the rear of Stage 3.

The Stage 2 Point d’Appui, Jon Izagirre has moved up in the standings to 41st, and his brother Gorka contested for the stage win.

March 6, 2013

Crashes Again Shake Up Paris-Nice; Izagirre at Fulcrum

Jon Izagirre, leading a break in the 2012 Giro d’Italia on the stage he eventually won. Photo by Richard Schofield, via Wikimedia Commons

Jon Izagirre of Euskaltel-Euskadi is the new Point d’Appui after Stage 2 of the Paris-Nice spring classic. Izagirre placed fourth overall in the recent Tour Down Under and won a stage of the Giro last year. That says something about the top-flight quality of riders who still have excellent times at Paris-Nice but who are relegated to the middle of the pack by the relative ease of the race so far.

Izagirre finished 24 seconds adrift the leader of the race, Elia Viviani of Cannondale, and more than 17 minutes ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Alexander Kristoff of Team Katusha. Andrea Palini of Lampre-Merida holds the median time for the general classification.

Jerome Cousin, who held the fulcrum after Stage 1, drifted back more than 20 places but might still have a stab at the middle on Stage 3 as the route heads into the Monts du Livradois and hits its first category climbs, a couple of Category 3s and a Category 2 climb – the Côte de Mauvagnat – near the end of the day.

On the stage, Francis De Greef of Lotto Belisol finished at the center of the peloton. Four riders abandoned, including the leader after Stage 1, Nacer Bouhanni.

March 5, 2013

Crashes Give Cousin First Point d’Appuit of Paris-Nice

After three abandons following crashes, we are left with our first Point d’Appui of the 2013 Paris-Nice Classic. Jerome Cousin of Team Europcar slipped into the fulcrum position of the race, right behind teammate Vincent Jerome. That’s right, two Jeromes. If Jerome Cousin married Vincent Jerome, he would be…

Cousin started the day in 131st place and finished up in 91st, not by dent of power but rather by avoiding the pavement that ate up many riders. Cousin is 15 seconds behind the new leader of the race, Nacer Bouhanni of FDJ, and slightly more than 17 minutes ahead of Alexander Kristoff, the Katusha rider who took a nasty fall in the latter 50 kilometers of the race but managed to limp in to Nemours for the finish.

For the stage, Maxim Iglinskiy of Astana Pro Team took the maillot gris.