Dal 4 all’11 marzo andrà in scena la Parigi-Nizza 2018, corsa a tappe organizzata da Aso, valida per il circuito WorldTour. Lo scorso anno fu Sergio Henao ad imporsi davanti ad Alberto Contador, stavolta chi sarà il vincitore?
Al via troviamo le 18 squadre WorldTour ammesse di diritto e quattro Professional francesi: la Cofidis, la Delko Marseille Provence KTM, la Direct Energie e la Fortuneo – Samsic. Bisogna dire che, come già accaduto più volte negli anni passati, la concorrenza della quasi concomitante Tirreno – Adriatico si fa sentire eccome e sono tantissimi i campioni che hanno scelto di privilegiare la gara italiana a discapito di quella transalpina. Ciò vale in particolar modo per gli scalatori. Non mancano, ad ogni modo, atleti di prima fascia, a partire dal campione uscente Sergio Henao, che potrà contare all’interno del Team Sky su un co-capitano come Wout Poels.
Jakub Fuglsang (Astana), Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha – Alpecin), Ion Izaguirre (Bahrain – Merida), Esteban Chaves e Simon Yates (Mitchelton – Scott), Pierre Rolland (EF Drapac), Alberto Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates), Bauke Mollema (Trek – Segafredo), Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) e Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) sono gli altri principali pretendenti al successo finale, sebbene non si possano escludere atleti del calibro di Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step Floors) che hanno dimostrato un’enorme crescita in salita e possono contare su una dura crono dalla loro parte.
Per quanto riguarda i cacciatori di tappe, invece, citiamo i velocisti Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL – Jumbo), Sam Bennett (Bora – Hansgrohe), Arnaud Dèmare (FDJ), Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), John Degenkolb (Trek – Segafredo), Thomas Boudat (Direct Energie) e gli italiani Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton – Scott) ed Elia Viviani (Quick Step Floors). E poi i corridori adatti a percorsi misti: da Tony Gallopin e Oliver Naesen (Ag2R La Mondiale), da Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) a Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), da Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) al nostro Mauro Finetto (Delko Marseille).
Di seguito la startlist completa. Clicca qui per il programma e la guida tv.
TEAM SKY
1 HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Colombia
2 DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO David Spain
3 LOPEZ GARCIA David Basque Country
4 POELS Wouter Netherlands
5 ROSA Diego Italy
6 STANNARD Ian United Kingdom
7 VAN BAARLE Dylan Netherlands
UAE – TEAMEMIRATES
11 MARTIN Daniel Ireland
12 BYSTROM Sven Erik Norway
13 FARIA DA COSTA Rui Alberto Portugal
14 KRISTOFF Alexander Norway
15 SUTHERLAND Rory Australia
16 SWIFT Ben United Kingdom
17 TROIA Oliviero Italy
BAHRAIN – MERIDA
21 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka Basque Country
22 BOARO Manuele Italy
23 GARCIA CORTINA Ivan Spain
24 HAUSSLER Heinrich Australia
25 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Ion Basque Country
26 NIBALI Antonio Italy
27 PIBERNIK Luka Slovenia
QUICK STEP FLOORS
31 ALAPHILIPPE Julian France
32 DECLERCQ Tim Belgium
33 DEVENYNS Dries Belgium
34 LAMPAERT Yves Belgium
35 MORKOV Michael Denmark
36 SABATINI Fabio Italy
37 VIVIANI Elia Italy
TEAM KATUSHA-ALPECIN
41 ZAKARIN Ilnur Russia
42 BOSWELL Ian United States
43 HALLER Marco Austria
44 KOCHETKOV Pavel Russia
45 LAMMERTINK Maurits Netherlands
46 MACHADO Tiago Portugal
47 POLITT Nils Germany
MITCHELTON – SCOTT
51 YATES Simon United Kingdom
52 CHAVES RUBIO Johan Esteban Colombia
53 EDMONDSON Alexander Australia
54 HAYMAN Mathew Australia
55 JUUL JENSEN Christopher Denmark
56 KREUZIGER Roman Czech Republic
57 TRENTIN Matteo Italy
AG2R LA MONDIALE
61 GALLOPIN Tony France
62 CHEREL Mickaël France
63 DOMONT Axel France
64 GAUTIER Cyril France
65 NAESEN Oliver Belgium
66 VANDENBERGH Stijn Belgium
67 VUILLERMOZ Alexis France
BMC RACING TEAM
71 VAN GARDEREN Tejay United States
72 DE MARCHI Alessandro Italy
73 DRUCKER Jean Pierre Luxembourg
74 GERRANS Simon Australia
75 ROCHE Nicholas Ireland
76 ROELANDTS Jurgen Belgium
77 TEUNS Dylan Belgium
TREK-SEGAFREDO
81 MOLLEMA Bauke Netherlands
82 BERNARD Julien France
83 DE KORT Koen Netherlands
84 DEGENKOLB John Germany
85 IRIZAR ARANBURU Markel Basque Country
86 PANTANO GOMEZ Jarlinson Colombia
87 RAST Grégory Switzerland
ASTANA PRO TEAM
91 FUGLSANG Jakob Denmark
92 FRAILE MATARRANZ Omar Basque Country
93 GRUZDEV Dmitriy Kazahkstan
94 HOULE Hugo Canada
95 CORT NIELSEN Magnus Denmark
96 SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon Spain
97 VALGREN ANDERSEN Michael Denmark
LOTTO – SOUDAL
101 WELLENS Tim Belgium
102 BAK Lars Ytting Denmark
103 DE BUYST Jasper Belgium
104 DE GENDT Thomas Belgium
105 GREIPEL André Germany
106 SIEBERG Marcel Germany
107 WALLAYS Jelle Belgium
GROUPAMA-FDJ
111 DEMARE Arnaud France
112 DELAGE Mickael France
113 GUARNIERI Jacopo Italy
114 KONOVALOVAS Ignatas Lithuania
115 LE GAC Olivier France
116 MOLARD Rudy France
117 SINKELDAM Ramon Netherlands
MOVISTAR TEAM
121 BARBERO CUESTA Carlos Spain
122 CARAPAZ Richard Ecuador
123 CARRETERO Hector Spain
124 ERVITI Imanol Spain
125 QUINTANA ROJAS Dayer Uberney Colombia
126 SEPULVEDA Eduardo Argentina
127 SOLER GIMENEZ Marc Spain
TEAM FORTUNEO – SAMSIC
131 BARGUIL Warren France
132 BOUET Maxime France
133 DELAPLACE Anthony France
134 LEDANOIS Kevin France
135 MOINARD Amaël France
136 PERICHON Pierre-Luc France
137 PICHON Laurent France
TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
141 GESINK Robert Netherlands
142 BOOM Lars Netherlands
143 GROENEWEGEN Dylan Netherlands
144 JANSEN Amund Grøndahl Norway
145 LEEZER Tom Netherlands
146 MARTENS Paul Germany
147 ROOSEN Timo Netherlands
TEAM SUNWEB
151 OOMEN Sam Netherlands
152 BAUHAUS Phil Germany
153 CURVERS Roy Netherlands
154 HAMILTON Chris Australia
155 TEUNISSEN Mike Netherlands
156 THEUNS Edward Belgium
157 VERVAEKE Louis Belgium
COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CRÉDITS
161 HERRADA LOPEZ Jesús Spain
162 BOUHANNI Nacer France
163 EDET Nicolas France
164 HERRADA LOPEZ José Spain
165 LAPORTE Christophe France
166 LEMOINE Cyril France
167 VAN LERBERGHE Bert Belgium
TEAM EF EDUCATION FIRST-DRAPAC p/b CANNONDALE
171 ROLLAND Pierre France
172 BRESCHEL Matti Denmark
173 CRADDOCK Lawson United States
174 DOCKER Mitchell Australia
175 LANGEVELD Sebastian Netherlands
176 MCLAY Daniel United Kingdom
177 SCULLY Thomas New Zealand
TEAM DIMENSION DATA
181 SLAGTER Tom Jelte Netherlands
182 BERHANE TEWELDEMEDHIN Natnael Eritrea
183 GIBBONS Ryan South Africa
184 KING Benjamin United States
185 PAUWELS Serge Belgium
186 THOMSON Jay Robert South Africa
187 VAN ZYL Johann South Africa
BORA-HANSGROHE
191 BENNETT Sam Ireland
192 BASKA Erik Slovakia
193 GROSSSCHARTNER Felix Austria
194 KONRAD Patrick Austria
195 POLJANSKI Pawel Poland
196 SAGAN Juraj Slovakia
197 SCHWARZMANN Michael Germany
DIRECT ENERGIE
201 CALMEJANE Lilian France
202 BOUDAT Thomas France
203 CHAVANEL Sylvain France
204 COUSIN Jerome France
205 GRELLIER Fabien France
206 HIVERT Jonathan France
207 TULIK Angelo France
DELKO MARSEILLE PROVENCE KTM
211 COMBAUD Romain France
212 DI GREGORIO Rémy France
213 EL FARES Julien France
214 FERNANDEZ CRUZ Delio Spain
215 JONES Brenton Australia
216 KASPERKIEWICZ Przemyslaw Poland
217 SISKEVICIUS Evaldas Lithuania