Final KM: Paris-Nice Stage 4, Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 1

Contre-le-montre, cronometro a squadre, whatever the language it was all about riding against the clock at both Paris-Nice and Tirreno Adriatico.

Paris-Nice Stage 4: La Fouillouse to Saint-Étienne, ITT, 18.4km

Wout Poels (Sky) took stage victory and moved to second overall on a course he declared himself very much suited to. Movistar’s Marc Soler was swift and smooth to finish second at +8secs with Julian Alaphilippe‘s (Quick-Step Floors) feisty third (+16secs) enabling a hop onto the GC podium. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) did enough to retain the yellow jersey by 15secs.

Video…

Rides of the day: 4th place for BORA-hansgrohe’s Felix Grossschartner and Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) who made the top 10 despite his worried face on the bus.

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„Autsch“ That was painful today! But happy that i finished on 4th place in stage 4 of @parisnicecourse! In the moment i am sitting on 6th in GC. #borahansgrohe #bora #hansgrohe #iamspecialized #rideroval #france #cycling #worldtour #ridenatural (c)ralphscherzer

A post shared by Felix Großschartner (@felixgro93) on Mar 7, 2018 at 10:25am PST

REPORT: “This was really good today, I am happy and I felt really good. I think this is the second time trial I have done well in in my life." – @estecharu after taking 10th place on stage 4 ITT #ParisNice – on the same second as @SimonYatess 26"06 https://t.co/Rj1EFUmerD

— Mitchelton-SCOTT (@MitcheltonSCOTT) March 7, 2018

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TT day !!

A post shared by Esteban Chaves (@estebanchavesbta) on Mar 7, 2018 at 9:48am PST

Bahrain Merida’s brothers in arms. The Izaguirre brothers finished in exactly the same time and are both in the top 10.

🇫🇷 #ParisNice
🚴 Stage 4️⃣ La Fouillouse – Saint-Étienne (18.5 km)
⏱️ Individual Time Trial
👏🏻 Good ITT for the #Izagirre brothers: Ion is 5th and Gorka 6th👉🏻both finished in 26'00 at 27" down the winner #Poels pic.twitter.com/QDh4HiaLxC

— Team Bahrain Merida (@Bahrain_Merida) March 7, 2018

This tickled me…

Appropriate place name at the steepest point of today's TT course? ("itchy leg") #ParisNice pic.twitter.com/BJiXnpoynn

— the Inner Ring (@inrng) March 7, 2018

Full race report at Cycling New-

Race Website Race Twitter #ParisNice

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 1: Lido di Camaiore to Lido di Camaiore, TTT, 18.4km

The traditional Lido di Camaiore seaside route produced the traditional result with BMC on the top step of the podium for the third year in a row. Mitchelton-Scott cruised to second place (+0:04secs) with Team Sky third at +10secs. Damiano Caruso was the first rider over the line for BMC and will wear the maglia azzurra.

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Poor Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) cannot catch a break this year. He was involved in a crash on his return to racing. We wish him a speedy recovery.

UPDATE: @MarkCavendish has been ruled out of @TirrenAdriatico after fracturing a rib in a heavy crash today and finishing outside of the time limit.

📝: https://t.co/rQ5eSijCzi

📸: @modcyclingphoto pic.twitter.com/PdOjIhRStu

— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) March 7, 2018

The contenders and the Trident

Embed from Getty Images

It’s like Baby Blackbird never left. Alberto Contador makes his Eurosport commentating debut at this race.

A partir de mañana estaré comentando la @tirreno_adriatico junto al gran @javierares en Eurosport.Lo pasaremos🌊🌊🌊👌 pic.twitter.com/iyRcy02LoU

— Alberto Contador (@albertocontador) March 6, 2018

Full race report at Cycling News

Race Website Race Twitter #TirrenoAdriatico

Header image: Triumphant BMC at Tirreno Adriatico – Tim de Waele/Getty Images