Stage Seven of Paris-Nice Shortened Due to Weather
Organisers have been compelled to shorten Saturday's penultimate stage of the Paris-Nice elite cycling race because heavy snowfall predicted would render the planned summit finish "unfeasible".
The stage was set to be the most challenging of the eight-day race, featuring a 138.7km route from Nice to the ski resort of Auron. This included a decisive 7.3km climb to the mountain top finish, with an average gradient of 7.2%.
With riders' safety as a priority, organisers decided to reduce the stage by 18km and instead conclude the race in Isola, where an intermediate sprint was already scheduled.
This marks the second occasion in three years that plans for a summit finish in the race's so-called 'queen stage' have been abandoned. The overall race will conclude in Nice on Sunday.
"The latest forecasts make an arrival in the Auron resort unfeasible, with the rain-snow line estimated to be around 1,100 metres altitude," said race organisers on Friday evening.
"The conditions do not allow the finish to be moved to another mountain top."
General Classification Leader Jonas Vingegaard Comments
Denmark's two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard currently holds a comfortable lead of three minutes and 22 seconds in the general classification after victories in the fourth and fifth stages.
The 29-year-old Visma Lease a Bike rider, who is aiming to win the Paris-Nice stage race for the first time, commented after completing Friday's stage:
"I have my winter pants, so I wouldn't say I hope we go to the finish [on Saturday], that wouldn't be nice even with my winter pants."
