VERSAILLES, France – Paris-Nice, the first major European stage race on the cycling calendar, will return to tradition next March with a final on the Promenade des Anglais.
The course, which was presented on Wednesday in Versailles, at the headquarters of the Yvelines departmental council, remains faithful to its main lines of recent times. With the difference that the arrival site, deserted for the past two years due to the pandemic, should this time welcome the successor of the German Maximilian Schachmann, winner 2020 and 2021 and candidate for the treble.
Departure in the Yvelines on March 6, three flat stages at the start of the week, short rugged time trial in the town of Julian Alaphilippe (Montluçon) and rugged route in the Ardèche before the weekend in the Nice hinterland : the route of the 80th edition brings together the ingredients that have contributed to its uncertainty, although the only finish at the top, at the Col de Turini (14.9 km at 7.3%), on the eve of the finish, is called to weigh on the final result after the 1196.6 kilometres.
“This anniversary edition is presented in a traditional form, which pays homage to some of its obligatory passages”, estimates the director of the Tour de France Christian Prudhomme, citing “the long windy plains of Beauce, the chrono which marks the changeover from North to South”, the ascents of the Croix de Chaubouret (Thursday), the Col de l’Espigoulier before joining Aubagne (Friday) and the Col d’Èze in the final Nice.
The Slovenian Primoz Roglic, unfortunate hero of 2021 when he lost the race on the last day, is announced on the contrary of the world champion, the French Julian Alaphilippe, who should be present on the Italian front (Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico) at the same period.
The route (1196.6 km):
March 6: 1st stage Mantes-la-Ville (Yvelines) – Mantes-la-Ville, 159.8 km
March 7: 2nd stage Auffargis (Yvelines) – Orléans, 159.2 km
March 8: 3rd stage Vierzon (Cher) – Dun-le-Palestel (Creuse), 190.8 km
March 9: 4th stage Domérat (Allier) – Montluçon (Allier), 13.4 km (individual time trial)
March 10: 5th stage Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert (Loire) – Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut (Ardèche), 188.8 km
March 11: 6th stage Courthézon (Vaucluse) – Aubagne (Bouches-du-Rhône), 213.6 km
March 12: 7th stage Nice – Col de Turini (Alpes-Maritimes), 155.4 km
March 13: 8th stage Nice – Nice, 115.6 km
