Mat Hayman's view
On paper, this looks like a fairly flat stage, and once again the sprinters' teams will want to control the race. The GC teams will be keeping out of trouble and will be waiting for the next few stages. The sprinters' lead-out trains will be putting all their winter-work into practice, and it could be that one of the more well-oiled machines from the previous years come out on top, simply because they're used to working with each other.
The heat, as throughout the race, is going to be a factor. The southern hemisphere riders will be used to it, and they might have spent most of the off-season in those conditions, whereas some of the Europeans – although they might have been in Australia for some time – might never like it or get used to it. At the end of the day, you're either good in the heat or you're not.
-
Why it matters that a woman could be Australia's next Tour de France hero
The nation that can ‘Yell for Cadel’ could just as easily end up spurring on Spratt if a women’s Tour de France goes ahead -
Richie Porte crashes out on opening day of Paris-Nice
Ineos Grenadiers leader due to have X-ray and MRI to assess extent of pelvis injury -
Michael Matthews: Riding for BikeExchange feels like coming back home
Australian looking forward to ‘busy week’ at Paris-Nice -
Primoz Roglic kicks off 2021 campaign at Paris-Nice
Jumbo-Visma leader aiming for victory but says he needs to find his racing rhythm
