France 08 Mar – 15 Mar 2026 Class 2.UWT – Stages – UCI WorldTour
Website www.letour.fr https://www.paris-nice.fr/en/
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
The 84th edition of Paris-Nice, known as the “Race to the Sun,” begins today, Sunday, March 8, 2026. This 2.UWT (UCI WorldTour) event spans eight days, covering approximately 1,245 kilometers from the outskirts of Paris down to the French Riviera.
2026 Paris-Nice Stage Schedule
The race features a diverse mix of flat sprint finishes, a team time trial, and challenging mountain stages.
| # | Date | Route | Distance | Type |
| 1 | Mar 8 | Achères > Carrières-sous-Poissy | 171.2 km | Flat (Hilly finale) |
| 2 | Mar 9 | Épône > Montargis | 187.0 km | Flat (Sprinters) |
| 3 | Mar 10 | Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire > Pouilly-sur-Loire | 23.5 km | Team Time Trial |
| 4 | Mar 11 | Bourges > Uchon | 195.0 km | Hilly (Uphill finish) |
| 5 | Mar 12 | Cormoranche-sur-Saône > Colombier-le-Vieux | 205.4 km | Hilly |
| 6 | Mar 13 | Barbentane > Apt | 179.3 km | Hilly |
| 7 | Mar 14 | Nice > Auron | 138.7 km | Mountain (Queen Stage) |
| 8 | Mar 15 | Nice > Nice | 129.2 km | Hilly (Final showdown) |
Key Highlights for 2026
- The Start (Today): Stage 1 in the Yvelines department isn’t a guaranteed sprint. It includes two laps of a final circuit featuring the steep Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes (1.1 km at 8.3%), which summits just 11 km from the finish.
- The TTT Twist: Stage 3 continues the recent tradition of the “Paris-Nice style” Team Time Trial, where the time is taken on the first rider across the line rather than the fourth or fifth, allowing for more aggressive tactical maneuvers.
- The Queen Stage: Saturday’s Stage 7 finishes at the ski resort of Auron (7.3 km at 7.2%). This is where the General Classification (GC) will likely be decided before the traditional chaotic final loop around Nice.
- Missing Champion: The 2024 and 2025 winner, Matteo Jorgenson, is not defending his title this year, opting instead to compete in Tirreno-Adriatico (starting tomorrow).
Top Contenders
With Jorgenson absent, the spotlight turns to a heavy-hitting GC field including:
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek)
- Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ)
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step)
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
The history of Paris-Nice, often called the “Race to the Sun” (La Course au Soleil), is a tale of innovation, legendary rivalries, and the symbolic transition from the harsh northern winter to the warmth of the Mediterranean spring.
1. The Vision: Linking Two Worlds (1933)
The race was the brainchild of Albert Lejeune, a media mogul who owned newspapers in both Paris (Le Petit Journal) and Nice (Le Petit Niçois).
- The Concept: Created in 1933, it was originally marketed as Les Six Jours de la Route (“Six Days of the Road”).
- The Goal: It was designed to pull track cyclists off the indoor velodromes and onto the open roads to prepare for the spring classics.
- The First Winner: Belgian Alfons Schepers won the inaugural edition, which featured a 312 km opening stage—the longest in the race’s history.
2. Post-War Rebirth and Transformation
The race faced a dark period during WWII; its founder, Lejeune, was executed in 1945 for collaboration. However, the event was too iconic to disappear.
- 1951: Revived as Paris-Côte d’Azur, it eventually reclaimed the name Paris-Nice in 1954.
- 1959: In a unique experiment, the race was extended to Rome (Paris-Nice-Rome). Covering nearly 2,000 km in 11 days, the format was deemed too exhausting and never repeated.
- The Col d’Èze Tradition (1969): The race introduced the final time trial up the Col d’Èze, a 9.6 km climb overlooking Nice. This became the race’s signature showdown, often deciding the overall winner in the final minutes.
3. Eras of Dominance
Throughout the decades, Paris-Nice has been the playground for cycling’s greatest “all-rounders.”
| Decade | Defining Figure | Achievement |
| 1960s | Jacques Anquetil | The “Maître” of the race, he won 5 times by dominating the time trials. |
| 1970s | Eddy Merckx | “The Cannibal” won 3 consecutive editions (1969–1971). |
| 1980s | Sean Kelly | The undisputed “King of Paris-Nice,” winning 7 consecutive titles (1982–1988), a record that still stands. |
| 1990s | Laurent Jalabert | The last Frenchman to dominate, winning 3 in a row (1995–1997). |
4. Modern Significance & Tragedy
- The Helmet Mandate (2003): Following the tragic death of Andrei Kivilev during the 2003 edition, the UCI finally mandated the use of helmets in all professional races.
- The ASO Era: In 2002, the race was acquired by ASO (organizers of the Tour de France). Since then, it has served as the definitive “litmus test” for Tour contenders. Winners like Bradley Wiggins (2012) and Geraint Thomas (2016) used Paris-Nice as a springboard to yellow jersey success in July.
- Recent Dominance: The 2020s have seen a battle between Slovenian stars Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar, followed by the rise of American Matteo Jorgenson, who took back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025.
The “Race to the Sun” Today
In 2026, the race remains the first major European stage race of the UCI WorldTour calendar. Its reputation for crosswinds in the north and explosive mountain battles in the south makes it one of the most tactical and unpredictable races in the sport.
