Paris-Nice: Cycling Race Preview
Paris-Nice is a multi-day cycling race that lasts about a week. It is the first World Tour race on French soil of the year. Over eight stages, the riders tackle a team time trial and face two uphill finishes. The “Race to the Sun” begins on Sunday, March 3rd, and ends on March 10th. Last year’s winner, Tadej Pogacar, is not participating this year. Who will be his successor?
Paris-Nice
This multi-day cycling race has been held since 1933 in the spring. The first editions were organized under the names “Les 6 jours de la route” and “Paris-Mediterrannée.” In 1951, the race was renamed “Paris-Côte d’Azur.” A few years later, it acquired its current name. It is the first major stage race of the early season and is seen as preparation for the spring classics like Milan-San Remo. The record holder is Sean Kelly with seven consecutive victories. The last two winners were Slovenians: Primoz Roglic in 2022 and Tadej Pogacar in 2023.
Traditionally, Paris-Nice is raced on a challenging course, featuring varied terrain including flat roads, hills, and sometimes mountainous stages. The leader, with the lowest overall time, wears a yellow jersey. There is also competition for the green jersey in the points classification, the polka dot jersey for the mountain classification, and the white jersey for the best young rider.
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Last year, the overall victory went to Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian seized control in the fourth stage and went on to win two more stages. With that, he won the classification with a significant lead. Pogacar is starting his season this year at the Strade Bianche in Siena, Italy. He rides for UAE Team Emirates, which also includes Pavel Sivakov, Joao Almeida, Brandon McNulty, Felix Grosschartner, Jay Vine, and Finn Fisher-Black.
Last year, David Gaudu finished in second place. The Frenchman will once again try to win the overall title in his own country but can expect strong competition. Gaudu ended his season early last year in September, as he couldn’t break free from the slump he found himself in. He rides for Groupama-FDJ alongside New Zealander Laurence Pithie.
Former winner Primoz Roglic is also competing this year. He left Jumbo-Visma last year and now rides for BORA-Hansgrohe. Last year, he contributed to Jumbo-Visma’s unique cycling treble by winning the Giro. The team, however, skipped all monuments. At BORA-Hansgrohe, he is supported by Aleksandr Vlasov, Bob Jungels, and Matteo Sobrero.
Remco Evenepoel is also expected at this race. The young Belgian also has ambitions to win the Tour de France. He impressed earlier this month in the Algarve and won the 4th stage. Last year, he was particularly successful in one-day races, winning in Scotland, Spain, and Belgium, which even earned him a second rainbow jersey. In an almost entirely Belgian team, he is supported by Ilan Van Wilder, Louis Vervaeke, Yves Lampaert, and Mattia Cattaneo.
One team that is entirely Belgian is Lotto Dstny. Arnaud De Lie, Victor Campenaerts, Cedric Buellens, Jasper De Buyst, and Brent Van Moer ride for this Belgian team. Lotto Dstny is also the oldest cycling team in the world.
Other Belgians riding Paris-Nice this year include Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek), Oliver Naesen (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers), and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty).
Route
The riders do not start in Paris but in the nearby Les Mureaux. The first stage also finishes there. On day two, it’s likely to be for the sprinters. The course remains fairly flat for the first two days. The third stage is a team time trial of just under 27 km. A day later, the riders are challenged on a long route through mountainous terrain. The next two stages are hilly, both around 200 km long. On the weekend, the riders tackle the mountains again, finishing on the coast at the Promenade des Anglais.
- 03/03: Stage 1: Les Mureaux – Les Mureaux (157.7 km)
- 04/03: Stage 2: Thoiry – Montargis (177.6 km)
- 05/03: Stage 3: Auxerre – Auxerre (26.9 km)
- 06/03: Stage 4: Chalon-sur-Saône – Mont Brouilly (183 km)
- 07/03: Stage 5: Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut – Sisteron (193.5 km)
- 08/03: Stage 6: Sisteron – La Colle-sur-Loup (198.2 km)
- 09/03: Stage 7: Nice – Auron (173 km)
- 10/03: Stage 8: Nice – Nice (109.3 km)
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