Helmets, Drones Steal Show As McNulty, UAE Shine At Paris-Nice
Muhammad Irfan Published March 06, 2024 | 12:10 AM
Auxerre, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Mar, 2024) American Brandon McNulty took the overall lead of the Paris-Nice on Tuesday when his UAE Team won the team time-trial as aerodynamic helmets and speeding drones also hit the headlines.
Pre-race favourite Primoz Roglic of Bora dropped 54 seconds on McNulty and perhaps more crucially 30sec on his key rivals Remco Evenepoel of Quick-Step and Egan Bernal of Ineos.
Evenepoel's group were winning by a wide margin of 20sec at the halfway point when the skies opened on them.
"We were outclassing everyone, but the rain began to fall," Evenepoel explained. "And there are corners in the closing part where you can gain five seconds if you go at full speed. So it wasn't our day."
McNulty admitted that his team "got lucky with the weather".
McNulty leads Evenepoel by 18sec in the overall standings and Bernal by 20sec, with Paris-Nice expected to be decided on two mountainous stages in the Nice backcountry at the weekend.
The giant yellow aerodynamic helmet used by Jonas Vingegaard at Italy's Tirreno-Adriatico on Monday was used again at the Paris-Nice on Tuesday by the Dane's Visma team, but cycling's regulator the UCI said it will examine the matter.
"It raises a significant issue concerning the current and wider trend in time trial helmet design, which focuses more on performance than the Primary function of a helmet, namely to ensure the safety of the wearer in the event of a fall," read a UCI statement.
Visma came sixth on the day, 38sec from UAE's winning pace in a race where teams of seven riders embarked at four-minute intervals on a 26.9km course around the central French town of Auxerre.
In another first, drones raced alongside the teams at up 65 km/h, zipping along the banks of a section of the Yonne river, offering a far more pacey impression of how fast the peloton actually moves for television viewers.
Wednesday's fourth stage takes in seven hills in a spectacular 183km ride through the Beaujolais wine-growing region.
The last of the climbs stretches 3km with a challenging 7.7 percent average gradient.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Wembanyama in France: NBA Spurs to play Pacers in Paris in January
Russian missile kills two in Ukraine's Odesa: governor
Dutch Embassy celebrates King Willem-Alexander's birthday
Need of concrete steps stressed for safe, nutritious milk availability
Scotland's leader Yousaf quits after a year
Services of GDA Pakistan China Friendship Hospital launched
Mining giants Vale, BHP propose $25 bn settlement over Brazil dam collapse
Georgia ruling party stages mass rally to counter protests
Bayern ready for 'extraordinary' Bellingham, says Tuchel
PTI leaders get interim bail
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 2nd update
French actor Depardieu released after sexual assault questioning
More Stories From World
-
Tesla wins key China security clearance during Musk visit
5 hours ago -
Football: South African Premiership table
5 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 3rd update
5 hours ago -
Football: South African Premiership result
5 hours ago -
Nadal keeps his clay dream alive as he battles past Cachin
5 hours ago -
Campaigning EU chief defends record during debate
5 hours ago
-
US, Mexican presidents order 'concrete' border steps: statement
5 hours ago -
Global pandemic agreement talks in race against time
5 hours ago -
Gaza protesters defy Columbia deadline to leave campus
7 hours ago -
Russian missile kills two in Ukraine's Odesa: governor
7 hours ago -
Scotland's leader Yousaf quits after a year
7 hours ago -
Mining giants Vale, BHP propose $25 bn settlement over Brazil dam collapse
8 hours ago