Welcome back to the Lenten Rouge Cycling Podcast. Some days we have classic stages, back-to-back, wall-to-all action. Today, we had a sprint in Paris Nice. First stage, no crosswinds. We can have cross-wins. It's like the perfect stage for it when you look at the final 50Ks, the corners, the roads, they're narrow, they have, yeah, it's from Montagesis.

We saw the crosswind stage last year was hugely impactful for GC when Visma rode away

with Trek and Ineos and then Pedersen won the stage. Good weather conditions today, too good in fact,

and both in Torrena, which we'll get to later,

and Parenice. And yeah, so we just had a cross headwind in the sun, Benji, which meant when we

tuned in, there wasn't much happening. I think that's fair to say. Like, we had the same guys

as yesterday in the breakway. So, Casper Peterson and Matis LeBere, so Quick Step Rider and a Total rider.

They were the ones fighting for KOM yesterday.

They were also the ones fighting for everything today on the breakway.

But I think the most important sprint, Patrick, was the actual bonus second sprint once that

breakway was caught, because that's where we saw not just sprinters going for intermediate

sprint points, but also GC rider, I won't say GC riders, because there was one, mingling between

the sprinters. And we saw the likes of Watsk leading out Ayuzo while Lamperti and Brat were being brought.

So Lotto was the overwhelming lead out at the front during that

intermediate sprint. And on the left side, we saw Vatsiq moving up with a user in the wheel.

A user doing honestly crazy sprint. It reminded me of that time where where Mkuyvena

pool in Basque country before Arate decided to do a Tim Mellier sprint. That's what it reminded me of.

He takes four seconds, not just two.

And I think, if you think a GC rider can't recover from one max sprint after peddling

around at 180 watts all day, I think he'll be okay.

I think he'll bank those four seconds happily.

Great lead out from Varchek and Soda Fist.

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