"You can ruin your season here" - Jonas Vingegaard and several other riders against Paris-Nice moving forward into snowy roads

There is a lot of movement this morning in Nice for the start of stage 7 of the French race, but not for the ordinary reasons. Whilst the riders were initially set out to take to the stage early in the morning into Auron; that is no longer the case. The stage has been altered two times in order to still be held but most riders are against the decision.

The stage was first cut down to 120 and then to 47 kilometers in length, cutting any descents and also the finishing climb from the day. On paper, it would still allow the organizers to have an event today, at a time where the riders have also signed in for the stage, however the temperatures continue to be freezing into the mountains and there is snow falling in the town of Isola where the new finish line is.

"We really want to race today, but we don't think we can make it to the finish. It is snowing there; that would be too dangerous," yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard told Sporza this morning. "We still think that if they can organize a race where the finish is 10 or 20 kilometers earlier, then it would be possible. We don't want to put anyone in danger, and I think it would be too dangerous to go to the finish."

The opinion is actually not ambiguous, Vingegaard does not want to take to the stage in such brutal conditions. This could serious change the race's plans to still move forward with the stage. "If the ASO really wants to go to the finish, I would say 'no'. But if they are willing to adapt and say that we can stop before there is snow, then we can do it".

Intermarché - Lotto's Luca van Boven was perhaps less diplomatic with his words, and detailed more precisely the risks that the riders can go through if the stage, even under its new conditions, is held. "I don't think there will be any racing. It doesn't look very good; there is snow just before Isola." An important note is that van Boven is the rider who is in contact with the organizers as representative of the riders' association CPA at Paris-Nice.

And he is clear with his words: "You can ruin your season here. When we drove to the start, we saw a few accidents because it is far too slippery. If they use common sense, it is better not to race today."

With these statements, it would be hard to imagine the riders will agree to race stage 7, which on paper as it stands will be 47 kilometers in length, going through a valley road up to Isola. The temperatures are literally freezing and there is active snowfall in the area however - and there is a good chance the extreme weather protocol may be brought forward.

Soudal - Quick-Step's Jasper Stuyven also talked to the Belgian news outlet, revealing frustration but not being surprised with the amount changes and uncertainty in the day's plans. "We will follow as we always do. It is the ASO that makes the final decision. As riders, we are never a single unit. It would be strange if that didn't frustrate me, but it is the reality of the day."

"I'm not really thinking about it too much. We'll see when we get there. It's not like we have to take a dangerous descent. It won't be pleasant riding in the cold and wet," he concluded.