Key points:
For the 15th year running, Paris-Nice will start in the Yvelines department. Les Mureaux takes over from La Verrière, where the race set off from last year.
A team time trial (26.9 km in Auxerre) will again be on offer, using the format tried out last March: the time recorded by the first rider from each team.
The Paris-Nice map sees Mont Brouilly and La Colle-sur-Loup back on the programme, both cancelled in 2016 and 2023 due to inclement weather.
Paris-Nice offers a preview of the next Tour de France during the final weekend around Nice, with an unprecedented finish in Auron.
As with the composition of a fine wine, the preparation of a race requires a subtle blend. As the recent Paris-Nice vintages have been of excellent quality, the organisers have stayed true to their favourite ingredients, adding a touch of novelty to give the vintage its own flavour. „Over time, we’ve found a balanced formula that offers something for everyone while reconciling the interests of the race with the safety of the riders”, sums up François Lemarchand. The route of the 82nd edition respects the fundamentals: a loop in the Yvelines, a stage of „bordures“, a time trial, a medium mountain climb, a finish for sprinters, a chance for daredevils and a thrilling weekend around Nice. Each day of the race has its own unique character.
So, for the 15th start of the event in the Yvelines, around Les Mureaux, the spirit of recent editions has been preserved, with a 100 km loop, a shorter second half and a false flat finish. There are two short hills to pass twice, the last 12 km from the finish. The second stage, between Thoiry and Montargis, is likely to be prone to breaks if the wind picks up, even more so as the course changes direction. But the straight finish is also ideal for sprinters. The new-style team time trial introduced last year that won everyone over will return around Auxerre, with a shorter distance (26.9 km) and, more importantly, a more undulating terrain, particularly in the final stretch, which should provide further opportunities for tactical jousting, with time once again taken on the first rider.
The race returns to the Beaujolais region the following day. Tribute will be paid to Mont Brouilly, which could not host the race in 2016 due to snow. It will be climbed twice in this difficult stage, with 3,300 metres of ascent. The Col du Fut d’Avenas, some 20 kilometres from the finish, also should inspire the more ambitious riders. The second good chance for the sprinters comes on the following day on the stage to Sisteron, the gateway to Provence and a traditional venue for Paris-Nice, where the final loop will be shorter for a long, wide finish ideally suited for sprinters.
The Colle-sur-Loup, deprived of its stage in 2023 due to violent and unpredictable winds, will provide a remarkable battleground for the attackers on Friday with 70 km of flat terrain after the start in Sisteron. Then comes a succession of hills to allow the daring to try their luck, particularly the final kilometres of the stage that feature steep climbs.
During the final weekend, the showpiece stage on Saturday will provide riders with a preview of the Tour de France. As in July, the riders will climb the Colmiane and head for Isola 2000 but then turn off towards Auron, where the ski resort will offer a steady climb of just over 7 km, peaking at 9%. It is an unprecedented climb that promises to be decisive. Sunday’s stage follows in part the route of the final time trial of the 2024 Tour, notably with a short ascent to the Col d’Èze, punctuated by a compelling novelty: the descent to Nice after crossing the Chemin du Vinaigrier is much shorter, with the end of the climb only 9 km from the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais. Any time lost at the top will be hard to make up.
Paris-Nice 2024 stages
Sunday 3 March, Stage 1: Les Mureaux > Les Mureaux, 157,7 km
Monday 4 March, Stage 2: Thoiry > Montargis, 177,6 km
Tuesday 5 March, Stage 3: Auxerre > Auxerre (team time trial), 26,9 km
Wednesday 6 March, Stage 4: Chalon-sur-Saône > Mont Brouilly, 183 km
Thursday 7 March, Stage 5: Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut > Sisteron, 193,5 km
Friday 8 March, Stage 6: Sisteron > La-Colle-sur-Loup, 198,2 km
Saturday 9 March, Stage 7: Nice > Auron, 173 km
Sunday 10 March, Stage 8: Nice > Nice, 109,3 km