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The 2024 version of Paris-Good appears set to be determined in a tricky mountainous closing weekend subsequent 12 months, however a fraught, hilly opening leg, the danger of cross-winds on stage 2 and a mid-race TTT can even assist resolve who succeeds Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates) because the winner of France’s second greatest stage race.
The disclosing of the 82nd version of Paris-Good in December confirmed the repeat of the 2023 TTT on stage 3, this time within the metropolis of Auxerre, however with the identical uncommon format of the time being set by the primary rider throughout the road.
A summit end on the cat. 2 climb of Mont Brouilly, final seen in Paris-Good in a time trial gained by Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) follows 24 hours later.
The important thing closing weekend begins as soon as once more with a cat.1 summit end within the Alpes-Maritimes in Auron. Then, stage 8’s mountainous circuit round Good might look acquainted, however it has an important innovation: a brief however very steep Col-des-Quatre-Chemins simply 9km from the end.
Final 12 months’s exceptionally thrilling version noticed Pogačar take three phases on path to victory forward of David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). And whereas the Slovenian just isn’t anticipated to return to defend his title in 2024, race director Christian Prudhomme reminded his viewers in Tuesday’s press convention why Paris-Good all the time has an everlasting attraction.
“We didn’t have the ultimate podium in Paris-Good in the identical order that we had within the Tour de France, however Paris-Good this March made it clear we knew we’d have an enormous combat on our fingers in July,” Prudhomme stated.
And with the Tour ending in Good subsequent summer season, these early omens of what may occur 4 months later over most of the identical roads will probably be even stronger than standard.
Stage 1: Les Mureaux – Les Mureaux, 157.7km
Beginning within the Yvelines Départment close to Paris for the fifteenth time in its historical past within the city of Les Mureaux, stage 1 is peppered with class 3 ascents after which finishes on a tricky uphill ramp, that means the GC riders must be on the ball and on the entrance of the pack proper from the phrase go.
Stage 2: Thiory-Montargis, 177.6km
Stage 2 then continues with one other of the standard Paris-Good early challenges, with its flat, uncovered run from Thoiry to Montargis. As ever on this terrain, if there are crosswinds, irrespective of how mild, then quite a lot of potential challengers might discover themselves within the improper part of a shattered peloton and out of the GC combat.
Stage 3: Auxerre-Auxerre (TTT), 26.9km
The stress will not let up throughout the next two days, beginning with the repeat of the 2023 TTT. Measuring in at 5km shorter than final March’s collective race in opposition to the clock when there was lower than half a minute’s distinction between the highest 5 total on the outcomes sheet, in an occasion typically determined by seconds, the variations on the hilly 26.9km run in Auxerre subsequent March will nonetheless be crucial once more.
Stage 4: Chalon-Sur-Saône – Mont Brouilly, 183km
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The rugged terrain on Stage 4, maybe hardened by the winter climate which frequently predominates within the hills of central France in early March, represents one other necessary problem, comprising lower than 5 class 2 ascents – and one class 1 – culminating in a double ascent of Mont Brouilly.
As soon as once more, variations between the very high favourites will probably be minimal on the stage more than likely set to weed out the weaker challengers with out creating definitive profitable margins. However in an occasion whose final result is usually poised on a knife edge like Paris-Good the gaps, nonetheless, small, all matter.
The following two extra simple phases taking the race even additional south will probably favour the breakaways.
Stage 5: Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut – Sisteron, 193.5km
Stage 6: Sisteron – La Colle-sur-Loup, 198.2km
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Stage 7: Good – Auron, 173km
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Stage 7’s unprecedented class 1 summit end at Auron is one other story altogether from the earlier days. On paper a lot more easy than stage 7’s mammoth ascent of the 15km Col de la Couillole in 2023, Auron’s powerful common gradients of seven.2% will nonetheless certainly go away a significant mark on the 2024 race’s total rankings.
The inclusion of the 7km climb within the Alpine foothills can even imply a summit end options the second-last stage of Paris-Good for a ninth consecutive version of the race, in a sequence now stretching again to 2016.
Stage 8: Good – Good, 109.3km
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Whoever is main by this level, although, will certainly face but extra challenges on the final day’s trek by way of the mountains overlooking the end in Good. Three class 2 ascents and a class 1 climb of Cote de Peille are simply the opening difficulties on a brief however ferociously tough closing day.
This culminates with an extended, tough drag as much as the summit on the Col d’Eze with segments at 13%, then a brief, a lot punchier and steeper climb of Col des Quatre-Chemins previous a quick drop again to the shoreline and Good’s Promenade des Anglais.
