Paris-Nice: "I couldn't hold on to the bike": the 6th stage canceled due to the violent wind

Europe 1 with AFP 2:32 p.m., March 10, 2023

The sixth stage of Paris-Nice was canceled on Friday due to "unusually strong winds" in the southeast.

"I weigh 60 kilos, I wouldn't hold on the bike with such a wind", commented Jonas Vingegaard, last winner of the Tour de France.

While the two departments had been placed on orange alert for strong winds, the organizers decided, after having first considered shortening it, to purely and simply cancel the stage which was to link Tourves (Var) to La Colle-sur -Loup (Alpes-Maritimes). 

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Strong gusts of wind

"It was not possible for us to ensure the safety of the race. Preserving the integrity of the riders and the spectators is our absolute priority", explained to AFP Pierre-Yves Thouault, deputy director of Cycling at Amaury. Sports Organization.

While the wind was already blowing very hard, with powerful gusts, at the scheduled start in Tourves, the organizers first neutralized the entire first part of the race, setting the new start at km 117.8 at La Fontaine d'Aragon .

Before realizing that it was too dangerous for the runners and the public to maintain the race.

“We waited a bit until 1:00 p.m.

Upon arrival, we had already removed a number of panels.

But when the gendarmes and my road teams went on the route, they saw fallen trees, they took tiles from the car.

We are not going to do anything", underlined Pierre-Yves Thouault, adding: "Paris-Nice that's it, it's sometimes complicated weather conditions".

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Too dangerous a step

The general classification therefore remains frozen with Slovenian Tadej Pogacar still in yellow, ahead of Frenchman David Gaudu and Dane Jonas Vingegaard, before the last two stages this weekend around Nice where the wind should blow a little less strongly, even if the organizers say they remain "vigilant".

To reward the public who had moved, the runners just made a fictitious double passage on the starting line in Tourves, before boarding their respective buses to join first the new start, and finally directly their hotel.

Even before learning of the cancellation of the stage, Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the last Tour de France and third overall, had already mentioned the weather conditions.

"With gusts of 100 km/h, it's not possible to run, it's too dangerous.

"I weigh 60 kilos, I wouldn't fit on the bike with such a wind"

Even in Denmark I don't go out when it blows so much.

I weigh 60 kilos, I couldn't hold on the bike with such a wind.

You have to be careful not to end up in the ditch," said the Dane. The winds also changed the queen stage of this week's other big stage race on Friday, Tirreno-Adriatico, where the final climb was shortened by two kilometers, announced the Italian organizers.