After a hugely successful start to the season in their home tour in Adelaide, Australian team Orica-GreenEDGE have had a disappointing Paris-Nice so far. Plan A went out of the window on stage one, when Simon Gerrans was caught behind the peloton-splitting crash which saw him lose time on his GC rivals, and stage two also put paid to plan B. Mat Hayman was the team’s best placed rider overnight, but he too lost time on the second stage to leave him facing an uphill battle if he harbours any overall ambitions.

German Jens Keukeleire is sat tenth overall, but while he may represent a chance at stage victories, when the road goes up his challenge is also likely to fade. So if Orica-GreenEDGE still have any ambitions of challenging for the GC, perhaps it could be an unexpected chance for Brit Simon Yates to prove his worth on debut. Part of a group of riders sat 32 seconds behind Nacer Bouhanni, a strong ride on the hillier stages could put the 21-year-old right in contention. It’s a long shot, but it is such opportunities which can make a rider. British fans will certainly be hoping he can rise to the challenge.