"We have had other editions of Paris-Nice in which riders rode in ten centimetres of snow" - Paris-Nice director defends' races actions over race neutralization
Cycling
The riders have set off for stage 5 of Paris-Nice and have left behind a day of monumental difficulties weather wise. The French race does usually have it's stints of bad weather, but when a hailstorm began falling on the peloton's shoulders the race was stopped. There were positives, there were negatives, but the race organizers believe the right decisions were made.
“A new UCI protocol, which was installed last winter, obliged us to intervene in these dangerous circumstances," race director Thierry Gouvenou said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. Preventively, the race was neutralized when conditions worsened on the road before any accident took place, a positive sign.
Then however the race resumed whilst neutralized, but not everyone got the message. Gouvenou shares that the team were told to get back on the bikes through race radio, but either riders did not have their earphones on or DS' did not hear the information whilst out of the car helping out the riders with clothes. "Those question marks? Strange. The information was distributed via Radio Tour. Riders have ‘earpieces’, don’t they? And otherwise there are always the team leaders (the DS', ed.).”
There was the possibility of neutralizing and then cancelling the stage in that initial location 45 kilometers away from the finish, but logistically he deemed it to be unviable. “Impossible. There were no team buses. How should riders have protected themselves or warmed up there, in that place? With 143 riders, there are 143 different opinions, of course.”
“The fact is: we have had other editions of Paris-Nice in which riders rode in ten centimetres of snow. Conditions that we were now far removed from. The weather improved. That made it responsible to continue riding in our opinion.” Sure rnough the peloton then did make it to the finish, but with a rider abandoning from hypothermia, more questions came about of whether they really should've continued the race under such circumstances.
The weather is not as brutal, but Gouvenou is aware that the chance continues to exist for another episode such as this Wednesday's. "We will keep a close eye on the situation. And we will certainly watch over the safety of the riders.”
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🚩 Et c’est parti ! L’étape 5 de #ParisNice est lancée sous les encouragements chaleureux du public de Saint-Just-en-Chevalet
— Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) March 13, 2025
🚩 Here they go! Stage 5 is underway! pic.twitter.com/OC2Jyb67Nq
Another brain dead take from the org. While they stayed cozy in their warm cars
If you consider ALL the details, things were not as bad as we’ve come to expect from organisers, especially lately, however much can still be improved, especially communication wise. I guess saying the race is neutralised is maybe not enough to be clear in the “heat” of the action, perhaps adding a warning to stay tuned and not remove earpieces, to know if and when the race might resume would help. Weather is completely random so it can go both ways when things reach a limit and BOTH sides should always be prepared for that. As for harshness of conditions, 10cm of snow is less dangerous and difficult than sleet or iced roads, riding on without stopping is easier than restarting after cooling off, everyone is different, Hinault was kind of a European average built man with his 173/68 at the time, Jonas could play an extra in a concentration camp scene, all respect for him and all the others for finishing, some people’s moaning (from their comfy sofa) made it sound like he abandoned before complaining.
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- I was wondering what really happened, if he was just not yet peaking at this time of the year, or if this just wasn't going to be his year, but apparently the accident affected him.Ride197413-03-2025
- There is good in everyone. Hitler was kind to his dog wasn't he?Cyclingsbestfan13-03-2025
- We all hope it, like parents, but those type of children only learn from their own mistakes ;-) Yeah, feel lucky I heal pretty fast, even at advanced age but we don’t really get to see how things look under their clothes. For sure they have better pain killers but I don’t ever remember feeling much pain when in a state to ride on, the adrenaline seems to just focus on that one objective. Later is another thing, I once (only time ever) fainted in the shower an hour post accident when trying to clean a wound, luckily another rider who’d witnessed it had sacrificed himself not to leave my side.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- Yep. But if you hit something stationary at 40 mph, your life is changed. And even just sliding ... the fastest I ever crashed was 35 mph in a race, and it was almost 2 months before the last scabs disappeared. These guys heal much faster, but the pain is the same. I am hoping P is more careful so that he has a long career that ends when he decides. But he doesn't seem built that way.
Barney13-03-2025 - He’s lucky Mohoriç warned him not to follow (and that for once he listened to wiser) because the way M only just avoided disaster that day, T would have done a Senna. Regarding the 40mph, it’s not usually hitting the deck that’s crucial, it’s acrobatics and stationary objects that refuse to move much that do the damage.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- If you consider ALL the details, things were not as bad as we’ve come to expect from organisers, especially lately, however much can still be improved, especially communication wise. I guess saying the race is neutralised is maybe not enough to be clear in the “heat” of the action, perhaps adding a warning to stay tuned and not remove earpieces, to know if and when the race might resume would help. Weather is completely random so it can go both ways when things reach a limit and BOTH sides should always be prepared for that. As for harshness of conditions, 10cm of snow is less dangerous and difficult than sleet or iced roads, riding on without stopping is easier than restarting after cooling off, everyone is different, Hinault was kind of a European average built man with his 173/68 at the time, Jonas could play an extra in a concentration camp scene, all respect for him and all the others for finishing, some people’s moaning (from their comfy sofa) made it sound like he abandoned before complaining.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- I was thinking the exact same thing as Kelly in the moment before the crash: if Pidcock is backing off your wheel while bombing a descent, you are going too fast. So many people talk about how dominant Pogacar is and how boring this makes cycling. However, with the stomach-churning risks he takes, his era could end on any day, just as it did for Froome and Bernal. I was surprised to see him remount after hitting the deck at 40-plus mph. I understand why his girlfriend can't even watch his descents. I am going to enjoy his time while it lasts.Barney13-03-2025
- Another brain dead take from the org. While they stayed cozy in their warm carsabstractengineer13-03-2025
- Ahhh, and there was me watching and thinking we might finally get an uncommented article. Now you leave Frieders no choice but to participate ;-)Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- I don’t think that was the sense he was conveying. Anyway, can’t change him much more, Tadej is a little like the Senna of cycling, will do as he wants and has to live with the consequences. MAYBE the fall will swing the heart/mind balance. For cycling popularity and fan discussions it won’t hurt to now have a Tour with a fit Jonas and Tadej having to recover from a nasty crash at P-R.Mistermaumau13-03-2025