'We were lucky with the weather': Brandon McNulty admits rain helped UAE Emirates edge Paris-Nice stage three team time trial

American pulled on the yellow jersey after a rain soaked finale to stage three in Auxerre

Brandon McNulty
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The race from the rain, through the sun, to the hail, to the rain. That was stage three of Paris-Nice in a nutshell. As the last few teams tore across the line in Auxerre, a hail storm erupted leaving already cold and wet bodies aching even further. 

Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel were both swaddled in towels, jackets and warm clothing by soigneurs as reporters watched on, hoping someone would take pity and hand them a towel to dry dictaphones and camera lenses. In the end, nobody did, and some were even removing sodden trainers as Brandon McNulty, the new race leader, walked into the post-stage press conference representing the stage three winners, UAE Team Emirates

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Tom Thewlis
News and Features Writer

After previously working in higher education, Tom joined Cycling Weekly in 2022 and hasn't looked back. He's been covering professional cycling ever since; reporting on the ground from some of the sport's biggest races and events, including the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships. His earliest memory of a bike race is watching the Tour on holiday in the early 2000's in the south of France - he even made it on to the podium in Pau afterwards. His favourite place that cycling has taken him is Montréal in Canada.