Shortened Paris-Nice stage 1 bus ride for the boys OH HAPPY DAYS!! ASO has shown why they are great bike race organizers today! They put us all back on our team buses and sent us 110 km down the road to race just the last 74 km of today’s stage. This is due to storm warnings and horrible rain and wind (up to 100 km gusts).

It was going to be California stage 4 all over again. But now we’re sitting in the back of the bus exploring Pate’s new racing concept. It involves a stage race comprised of only time trials with two per day. The total distance cannot surpass 45 km for the day and the shortest cannot be less than 5km.

But here’s the novelty: mystery distances! You don’t know the race length until you reach the finish. No indications on the road or before the start. And to add a bit of spice, every morning you can opt for the use of a moto to pace you for one of the day’s stages. Genius!