On the day the race was to enter the mountains, Paris-Nice’s climbers were unable to make their mark with stage 3 cancelled after 93km due to severe weather conditions. The stage was beset by snow and rain, but on a day that showed early promise for Tinkoff riders, safety of the riders was paramount.
With the flat roads of stages 1 and 2 behind them, the climbers finally had a chance to shine in the first mountain stage. This was not to be, however, after the weather conditions that had featured so strongly in the earlier stages of the race led to the cancellation of the stage after 93km of the stage completed.
Sport Director, Steven De Jongh, had hoped for a better outcome. “It’s disappointing. Yesterday when we looked at the forecast and that you go up to this height you can expect some bad weather but we had been looking forward to today’s stage.”
With Yuri Trofimov making it into the day’s early break of 14 riders, the stage was taking shape for Tinkoff, one that had been ear-marked as the first opportunity for Alberto Contador to make his mark. As the race approached the 100km point however, and snow fell at the stage’s finish at Mont Brouilly, the decision was taken by race organisers to neutralise and later cancel the day’s racing.
De Jongh continued. “Yuri was in the early break to be there for the team. Then from there four guys went away. We started to hear from ahead that it was snowing and then they neutralised it before cancelling. For the moment we’re disappointed as we were looking forward to this mountain finish. It’s hard not to have the fight we wanted today.”
Thursday’s 195.5km stage will take in three categorised climbs. De Jongh hopes for better conditions. “Tomorrow we do the climb of today early on, it’s a lumpy day but the weather should be better – but we will have to see.”
GC After Stage 3
1. Michael Matthews (AUS) Orica-Greenedge 09:41:46
2. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Team Giant-Alpecin +00:00:14
3. Patrick Bevin (NZL) Cannondale Pro Cycling +00:00:19
4. Ion Izaguirre (SPA) Movistar +00:00:19
5. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Team Sky +00:00:19
9. Rafal Majka (POL) Tinkoff +00:00:27
18. Alberto Contador (SPA) Tinkoff +00:00:33
74. Yuri Trofimov (RUS) Tinkoff +00:01:32
76. Pawel Poljanski (POL) Tinkoff +00:01:45
78. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO) Tinkoff +00:01:52
85. Matteo Tosatto (ITA) Tinkoff +00:02:57
156. Sergio Paulinho (POR) Tinkoff +00:10:50
163. Michael Valgren (DEN) Tinkoff +00:12:20
