And two for Olav Kooij: the Dutch sprinter doubled the stakes on Paris-Nice, by winning his second stage in the sprint on Thursday in Sisteron where the organizers announced a modification of the final of the queen stage on Saturday due to the weather .
Already winner at Les Mureaux during the first stage, the Visma-Lease a bike rocket did it again by taking, like last Sunday, the best over the Dane Mads Pedersen, once again second.
After a quiet day for the favorites, Australian Luke Plapp retained the yellow jersey with thirteen seconds ahead of Colombian Santiago Buitrago.
“It’s a very good week for me,” noted Kooij who, at 22, is establishing himself, race after race, as one of the best sprinters in the world.
It was undoubtedly the last opportunity for the “big thighs” to shine before the last three stages which promise to be much more difficult than that of Thursday, run in magnificent landscapes, under a splendid sun.
“A magnificent day on the beautiful French roads”, appreciated Luke Plapp.
The weather also risks getting worse, from Friday, between Sisteron and La-Colle-sur-Loup.
Above all, the director of Paris-Nice, François Lemarchand, announced Thursday evening during a press briefing that the queen stage on Saturday would be shortened and that it would not arrive as planned in the Auron ski resort. , where snow and strong gusts of wind are forecast.
The 7th stage will still start from Nice, but will only be 104 km long for a total of 2,000 meters of elevation gain (compared to 173 km and 3,750 m elevation initially) with the removal of the difficult and unprecedented climb towards Auron (7.3 km at 7.2%) but also the Col de la Colmiane.
“We cross fingers”
The race will now arrive at the summit of the Madone d’Utelle, a sanctuary and place of pilgrimage already used in 2016 by Paris-Nice, but significantly less difficult, with an ascent of 15.3 km at an average slope of 5.7%.
“Due to the weather conditions, it turned out that it is very difficult to get to Auron” and we “decided to move back towards the sea. We prefer to be safe and give priority to the safety of the runners” , declared François Lemarchand.
“We’re still predicting rain. We’re crossing our fingers but we think it will work,” he added about this decision that had been feared for a few days in view of the forecasts.
To decide between the main favorites, the “race to the sun” could thus be played out during the last stage in Nice, very compact (only 109 km) but with a sharp profile.
The Belgian Remco Evenepoel, restless in the final loop around Sisteron, remains best placed (5th at 30 seconds from Plapp), while Primoz Roglic (15th at 1 min 10 sec) remained well hidden in the peloton on Thursday.
“We trust the runners. On Sunday, something happens every time at Paris-Nice. And the prefecture has reassured us” that the last stage will hold up well, underlined François Lemarchand.
In the meantime, Kooij was “super happy to have found the opening” on Thursday along the Durance to win with a comfortable lead facing the Rocher de la Baume.
“Now we will pursue other objectives with Matteo (Jorgenson) for the general classification,” he added. His American teammate is eighth in the general classification, 52 seconds behind the leader.
Provence, setting for the 5th stage of Paris-Nice, run on March 7, 2024 between Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut and Sisteron / Thomas SAMSON / AFP
Mads Pedersen consoled himself by donning the green jersey but without hiding his disappointment. “I’m here to win a stage. The green jersey is good, but I didn’t come for that,” regretted the 2019 world champion.