the race to the sun

i said when i started this blog that it would focus on a variety of sports. i've kept that promise to some degree, but a quick look through the posts will tell you a couple of things. firstly, that football is way ahead of other sports when it comes to marketing itself to a global, multiple time zone dwelling audience. you could of course look at this another way, and argue that the author is a sucker, and in many ways FIFA's ideal modern fan- lazy, internet-savvy, and happy to consume football on a more or less constant basis.

this may well be true, but over the next few months, i will try and demonstrate that i'm a man of many sporting stripes- starting with my weekend picks post, that simple format that allows me to bang out a post whenever i have a spare minute. this week however, i'm going to craft something, a proper piece of writing that might actually make you think something more than 'wow, i can't wait to watch that italian football on sunday.' such thoughts are of course no bad thing, but sometimes, you need something more. but why now? because, my friends, this weekend is the beginning of the race to the sun.

let's start with the name. la course au soleil. the race to the sun. back when the french still ruled cycling, paris-nice was the traditional curtain-raiser to the new season. in a sport which until relatively recently was the preserve of l'equipe, gazzetta dello sport and het nieuwsblad, the race marked the time when the giants of the peloton thrust themselves back into the consciousness of the fans, fans who hadn't seen them since the world championships ended the previous october. in the 1980's, sean kelly dominated the race, flexing his muscles for the upcoming classics and his yearly brush with glory at the tour. in the mid-1990's, laurent jalabert engaged in his career-long tormenting of the french cycling public, convincing them year after year that he had what it took to end their wait for a yellow jersey on the champs elysees. in more recent times, the race has been tainted- 5 of the winners in the last decade have served suspensions of one form or another. despite that, it remains my favourite race of the year, not least for what it symbolises- the end of winter, and the beginning of the race to summer, to the sun, and of course, the tour de france.

as with most french stage races, the shadow of the tour lies heavily over paris-nice. these days, they're even owned and organised by the same company. go well at paris-nice, and you'll be in good shape for the tour, provided you stay injury-free. that's what the collective wisdom of the cycling world states. the reality is that the winners of paris-nice tend to be punchier, powerful one-day riders, who can just about stretch out the effort over a week, but tend to fall down over the course of a grand tour. last year's winner, luis leon sanchez, is a perfect example- decent but not explosive in the mountains, strong enough to hang in whatever the weather, and above average in the time trials.

the ideal paris-nice rider is not a grand tour specialist, he rarely provides those moments which are known in football as 'hollywood.' so what makes the race so special? one word- weather.

france in early march is often a nasty place to be, especially if you're planning on riding a bike 180km every day for a week. over the years, the race has been won and lost over seemingly innocuous stages turned mean by nature. the best example of this came from last year's stage 3, which was transformed from a transitional breakaway day to an all-out fight for survival, instigated by a mind-bendingly vicious attack from rabobank, who were going for the stage win, but ended up turning the general classification inside out. crosswinds, driving rain, poor roads and worse visibility are a fact of life in paris-nice, and while it's hell for the riders, it makes for spectacular racing.

as the week goes on, that sun gets closer, the end is in sight. day by day, you can see the change in the weather, and the different demands that it places on the riders. for someone like david millar, who suffers from chronic skin problems, the sun can be your enemy. but would you really choose the rain and the wind? the rider who can cope best with the weather is one with a clear advantage over the rest.

the weather is also one factor in the immediacy of the race. there are 3 key stages this year, which leaves no margin for error. it's impossible to take the long view, conserve energy and wait for the next mountain stage, because if you do that, the chance at the race will have passed you by. riders and teams are often forced to plan on the fly, and it's difficult for one squad to exert a suffocating control over the race, as astana did at the tour in 2009. as well as the lack of time, the team in the lead has to contend with the numerous riders who are gunning every day for that precious stage win in the 2nd biggest french race of the year. a stage win in a race such as paris-nice can have a big impact when it comes to keeping sponsors happy. all of this contributes to a week of urgent, intense racing.

it's no coincidence that alberto contador, the best rider in the world, has made paris-nice a key part of his early-season programme. glancing at the startlist, the tour contenders jump out- contador, leipheimer, kreuziger, vande velde, sanchez, schleck. the race to sun, and the race to the tour, starts on sunday. but more than a tour prep, it's an engaging, nasty, spectacular race, with a character all its own. here comes the sun...