Following the departure in Nice the route runs uphill. The first KOM-points are to be gathered at the end of a 4.5 kilometres climb at 4.8%, Côte de Gattières. The route continues to rise until a drop sets in at kilometre 37.
Down in the valley, a flat section of 30 kilometres runs to the first of two long ascents in today’s road book. The distance is really the only striking thing at the Côte de de Sainte-Baume. While amounting to 16.7 kilometres, the average gradient is a friendly 3.8%.
Still 90 kilometres left. Following a rolling section of a couple of kilometres a long descent brings the riders to the foot of the Col de Saint-Raphaël, which is a 5.8 kilometres climb at 4.2%.
Following the descent the riders face one more uphill challenge (Côte Villars-sur-Var: 2.1 kilometres at 6.7%, summit with 40 kilometres to go) before the closing climb. The ascent to the line is long and regular. At 16.3 kilometres, the Valdeblore La Colmiane-climb goes up with an average gradient of 6.2%.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the two intermediate sprints (at kilometre 18.5 and at kilometre 144) come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Read also: results/race report 7th stage 2018 Paris-Nice.
Paris-Nice 2018 stage 7: Route maps, height profiles, and more
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