PREVIEW | Paris-Nice 2023 stage 3 - Special rules in the team time-trial that opens GC fight fully

Preview. After the sprinters had another opportunity on the second day of racing in France, stage 3 sees the GC fight truly begin as the peloton take on a 32-kilometer team time-trial - one that features special rules.

Team time-trials are becoming more and more rare in pro cycling. However, the Paris-Nice organizers were keen on making a change, and the third day of racing will do just that. It isn't a short one either, 32.2 kilometers around Dampierre-en-Burly which will create meaningful differences for the overall classification.

Start Time: 14:15CET

Finish Time: 16:30CET

It is a day that is as pure of a time-trial as it could be. With an average of 1 corner each 11 kilometers (almost) the specialists in the discipline will have all the time in the world to dial their tactics and make use of their time-trialists. It will be an interesting effort, and meaningful gaps can definitely be created.

Very low temperatures, around the 5 kilometers and grey skies. Here it won't make a huge difference however, neither will the southwestern breeze. It's a day for tactics and team power.

Times will be taken individually. This is not the typical team time-trial format in which the team's time is counted on it's fourth of fifth rider crossing the line - with the rest having their individual times taken. Paris-Nice have decided on making changes to this rarely-used discipline.

That is that times will be taken individually. By this I mean that it is that the team's time - when it comes to stage victory - will be taken from the first rider crossing the line. For the GC that means that all 7 riders from one team may have different times on the day which will count.

This means that a "leadout" can be done, non-ironically. The GC leaders will likely have full support of their team here and very likely many will arrive at the finish alone. On the other hand, riders who thrive in the discipline such as Pogacar and Vingegaard will not have to wait for teammates if it were to be the case. Teams have never raced in such a way, and it's likely to bring in some interesting tactics.

Jumbo-Visma - Jonas Vingegaard clearly the leader of the team and I believe Jumbo will opt for this one-rider-at-the-line strategy. However they have extensive firepower. Current world champion Tobias Foss will be present, as will former world champion Rohan Dennis. Edoardo Affini and Jan Tratnik are also very strong time-trialists whilst both Nathan van Hooydonck and Olav Kooij are powerhouse riders.

Team Jayco AlUla - Simon Yates can at times perform in the time-trials, but the Australian team are specialists in this effort. The presence of Luke Durbridge, Michael Matthews and Matteo Sobrero absolutely give credibility to the Australian team's aspirations of fighting for a victory.

INEOS Grenadiers - Daniel Martínez and Pavel Sivakov are strong against the clock and will need a good time to remain well positioned in the GC. INEOS aren't as well prepared as they could but Joshua Tarling will be an important weapon for the team.

UAE Team Emirates - - Pogacar will be the fastest man. On one side this is good, but unlike Jumbo-Visma he's unlikely to have a team capable of supporting him as well. His 12 seconds see him as a possibility for the yellow jersey, Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Grossschartner, Rui Oliveira and Tim Wellens will have pull out all the stops to limit the losses.

Bahrain - Victorious - Not the strongest team at first glance but Bahrain has some serious firepower. Jack Haig and Wout Poels have both shown good form over February but the team have big engines ahead. Jonathan Milan has been on a great run and is a true work horse. Filip Maciejuk, Kamil Gradek and Fred Wright are all powerful rouleurs who can be of great help here.

EF Education-EasyPost - A specialist team, they were close to victory at the UAE Tour. Boosted by Stefan Bissegger, the American team are true outsiders for the stage win. Magnus Cort Nielsen, Neilson Powless, Owain Doull, Tom Scully and Marijn van den Berg are all riders who can certainly push a high pace on flat roads.

Soudal - Quick-Step - GC aspirations won't be present in the team, but they can dream of a stage win. Kasper Asgreen and Rémi Cavagna will be the big engines of the effort. Every single rider on the team has the ability to ride at high speeds on a road stage , but the question is if they can translate that raw power to here.

*** Jumbo-Visma
** EF Education-EasyPost, Bahrain - Victorious
* UAE Team Emirates, Team Jayco AlUla, INEOS Grenadiers, Soudal - Quick-Step

Pick: Jumbo-Visma