It has been a long road back for Jack Haig since he suffered multiple wrist fractures on the cobbled stage of the Tour de France. The crash meant the end of his 2022 season but now he is ready to return to a leadership role for Bahrain Victorious at Paris-Nice.
The Australian, who stepped onto the overall podium at the 2021 Vuelta a España, first returned to racing at the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol last month, slotting into eleventh overall as he raced in a support role for teammates Mikel Landa and Santiago Buitrago, who came second and third. Now, though, it is time for him to step into the leadership position again at the eight stage ‘race to the sun’ as he works his way back into top racing form ahead of the Giro d’Italia.
“We have a strong team here and we’ll try to fight nearly every day for a stage win,” said lead sports director Enrico Poitschke. “The goal is to finish with Jack on, or close to, the podium, and to have a good week.”
Haig has lined up at Paris-Nice three times before, his best finish being fourth overall in 2019. The 29-year-old will be facing some hefty competition this edition with Tour de France favourites Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) among the names lining up in in La Verrière on Sunday.
“In general the race has a very strong startlist as always, and we start with two flat stages before a quite long Team Time Trial of 32km which will be very important for the GC,” said Poitschke in a team statement. “The real hard mountains come in the last two stages where the overall podium will be decided.”
The Bahrain Victorious line up for the race from March 5-12 to will include Gino Mader, Wout Poels, Kamil Gradek, Filip Maciejuk, Jonathan Milan and Fred Wright.
“We go to Paris-Nice with Jack as GC leader. Gino & Wout are there to help out on the climbs but also perhaps with the possibility to fight for a stage win,” Poitschke said. “We have Johnny for the sprints, with top class helpers Filip & Kamil.
“Fred will be an asset in both situations – in the hard stages but also on the flat. Of course he’s also a guy who can go in breakaways and try to win a stage from the break.”
