The penultimate stage of the race led the riders from the coast to the hinterlands, from Nice to La Colmiane-Valdeblore. 175 km in the rain made the selection and changed the standings.
Long led by the Astana team, the peloton did not see many attacks, due to a sustained pace.
It was finally Roman Kreuziger, teammate of Simon Yates, who changed the course scenario by taking the lead. Unable to follow the pace set by the Czech, Luis Leon Sanchez completely cracked.
Once his rivals were controlled, Simon Yates delivered a first effective strike, with Jon Izaguirre (Bahrain-Merida) being the only one able to follow. Yates then launched a second victorious attack, allowing him to cross the finish line solo.
The Briton simultaneously reclaimed the yellow jersey at the expense of Luis Léon Sanchez, who totally collapsed.
The Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step), who was a provisional leader for a time following Sanchez’s failure, fell back two kilometers from the finish, conceding nearly two minutes to Simon Yates (+2’02”) and dropping to 9th position in the general classification.
Yates is not assured of winning Paris-Nice, but he should have the resources to control the attacks over the remaining 110 kilometers of this 2018 event.
Only the Izagirre brothers (respectively 2nd and 3rd at +11” and +12” in the general rankings) seem capable of effectively joining forces against him, which should maintain a little suspense until the end.
This Sunday, the race will start from the Promenade des Anglais and return there after completing a loop circuit in the hinterland.
