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Paris-Nice 2016: stage three abandoned in snow

Organisers end and annul stage after snow and freezing conditions hit peloton

Stage three of Paris-Nice was abandoned after freezing conditions and snow forced organisers to step in and postpone the stage.

The riders had set out from Cusset en route for Mont Brouilly in very cold, wet conditions with snow forecast for later in the day.

And with conditions worsening as the race reached the feed zone, the decision was taken to abandon proceedings – first with the hope of a restart or neutralised race later on, but then to annul the whole stage with three climbs and a hairy descent still to come.

British duo Simon Yates (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Ben Swift (Team Sky) had earlier been part of a large breakaway which formed early in the race.

Both were back in the peloton by the time the race was abandoned, however – Yates’ having only been 37 seconds behind team-mate and race leader Michael Matthews when the stage began.

Matthews had suffered an earlier scare too, when Movistar ramped the pace up and successfully split the peloton in two – the yellow jersey caught in the second group.

That too had regrouped, however, and with the decision taken to abandon the stage the race situation is ‘as you were’ ahead of an expected sprint finish on stage four.

Paris-Nice 2016: general classification after stage three

1) Michael Matthews (AUS) – Orica-GreenEDGE – 9.41.46hrs
2) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Giant-Alpecin +14”
3) Patrick Bevin (NZL) – Cannondale +19”
4) Ion Izagirre (ESP) – Movistar – ST
5) Geraint Thomas (GBR)
6) Lieuwe Westra (NED) – Astana +24”
7) Dries Devenyns (BEL) – IAM Cycling +25”
8) Arnaud Demare (FRA) – FDJ – ST
9) Rafal Majka (POL) – Tinkoff +27”
10) Richie Porte (AUS) – BMC Racing – ST

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