Paris-Nice stage 7 LIVE – Riders racing at last after bad weather reduces stage to 47km

Mechancial for Cofidis’ Louis Rouland, who’s having his wheel changed.

The gradually uphill nature of the route means that, mercifully, there are no descents for the riders to have to worry about.

Marsman on the attack.

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With Visma interested solely in keeping Vingegaard safe, the sprinters’ teams will likely need to do some work at some point.

He has a lead of about 7 seconds.

Marsman made his move 34km from the finish.

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Flat tyre for Florian Dauphin, who has had his rear wheel changed.

Houcou managed to get back into the peloton.

Visma-Lease a Bie are leading the peloton, with no attack being made.

Conditions still don’t look safe. The roads look wet and the riders tense.

The organisers didn’t wait for Houcou to rejoin the peloton, eager to get things going.

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The start’s been delayed some more, with Emmanuel Houcou having a mechanical.

The riders a little earlier at the new unofficial start.

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Denz is nearly back. We look set to start soon.

Arthur Kluckers was the other rider to fall, along with Denz and Kämna.

Denz is talking to his team car. The race start has been delayed while he remains out the back.

Nico Denz looks more hurt, and is still making his way back to the peloton.

For anyone unsure if they should be rising in such conditions, that incident will surely be seen as evidence against doing so.

The incident happened right at the front of the peloton. They’re all back up again, but Lennard Kämna tore his shorts.

There’s been a crash in the neutral zone, three riders down.

Thankfully the weather has eased off somewhat, though the riders are all still decked in multiple layers to protect themselves from the cold.

They’re on the move now, riding behind the neutral service car ahead of the official start.

The riders are assembled at the new start and ready to go.

Finally, though the climbs have been removed, the parcours isn’t exactly flat. In fact, all 47km go gradually uphill, which could prove too much of a test for the pure sprinters, especially if raced at a fast pace right from the off.

Then there is the stage length, which at under 50km, won’t be a ‘stage’ in the traditional sense. There’s no time for the usual pattern of a break forming at the start, and the peloton chasing it down. Instead, we’re poised for intense racing right from the off, as any attack at any moment could be the move that takes the win.

Now all the climbs have been removed, the first assumption would be that this will instead be one for the sprinters, but things might not be as straightforward as that.

First of all, there is the ongoing factor of the weather. So long as the rain keeps falling it’ll be difficult to control any rivers who are willing and eager to brave the elements and go out on the attack.

So it looks like we should have some racing in about a quarter of an hour, from the stage’s new start at Pont Louis Nucera.

Jonas Vingegaard earlier today. His lead on the overall classification looks even more secure now that the stage has been shortened and the climbs removed. What might have been a day for his Visma-Lease a Bike to control has become one that could be for the sprinters instead.

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The scene from the team presentations in Nice earlier today.

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