The 80th edition has a bit of everything for everyone and takes place between 6-13 March.
Created in 1933, Paris-Nice was at that time one of the earliest races of the French calendar. Back then, the leader’s jersey was blue with a gold strip – a nod to the sky, sea and sun that had made the city such a picturesque gem – and the stages used to exceed 300 kilometers. As the years went by, also the race changed: it was called Paris-Côte d’Azur and Paris–Nice–Rome in the ‘50s, the half-stages were introduced, the time trial became a regular feature, bonifications were awarded and the leader’s jersey turned green, then orange, then all-white, before finally becoming yellow in the first years of the 21st century.
This will be the prize for which the riders present in the Yvelines department Sunday morning will fight over the eight days of the 80th edition. The first stages bring opportunities to both the sprinters and the puncheurs, but could turn into a big test for the GC men, as the peloton will take on some windswept roads that are very likely to wreak havoc. In Montluçon, a short but hilly individual time trial with a last stretch featuring 14% ramps promises to create more gaps ahead of a tough weekend that will include a summit finish atop Col de Turini (14.9km, 7.3%) and the iconic Col d’Èze (6km, 7.6%).
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl has always been among the main protagonists at the “Race to the Sun” and will aim to have again a strong showing, as we come to the start in Mantes-la-Ville with a team consisting of Fabio Jakobsen – the most successful rider of the season so far – Iljo Keisse, Yves Lampaert, Michael Mørkøv, Florian Sénéchal, Zdenek Stybar and Mauri Vansevenant.
“Paris-Nice is never an easy race. We can expect bad weather and echelons next week, but that won’t impact our motivation. We have a team capable of controlling on the flat and setting up Fabio for the sprints, and this will be our main goal. Concerning Mauri, he comes here without any kind of pressure; he has a free role and we’ll just see how things turn out for him”, said sports director Tom Steels, himself a former winner of multiple stages at Paris-Nice.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
