Following a number of chances for the fast men, Paris-Nice is testing more demanding terrain in the 4th stage. The race sarts in Vichy, moves through the vineyards of Condrieu, and concludes with a bumpy circuit around Pélussin. The Côte de Chavanay – 3.1 kilometres at 4.9% – is crested just before the finish line.
Supposedly, the first key moment in terms of the GC-battle will be stage 5, which is an 25.5 kilometres individual time in the heart of the Massif de la Montagnette. The route features an intermediate climb to the Abbaye de Sainte Michel de Frigolet, while the last metres are also uphill. Last year, Wout Poels claimed the ITT in Paris-Nice.
Stage 6 is far from flat, yet a bunch sprint is the most likely outcome. The finish in Brignoles will trigger fond memories in Mark Cavendish, as he won here in the 2009 Tour de France.
Stage 7 takes in four intermediate climbs to conclude on the spectacular Turini Pass. The climb is a first for the Race to the Sun, athough the Tour de France the climb to an elevation of 1,607 metres in 1948, 1950 and 1973. The final haulp up is 14.9 kilometres at 7.3%, while the full asecnt features 3 kilometres at over 10%.
The last day of action is identical to last year. So it is a short and explosive race with six intermediate climbs. Col des Quatre Chemins is the ultimate ascent – 5.5 kilometres and averaging 5.5% – before the finale is a 9 kilometres descent into Nice. This decor resulted in a thriller of a race with David de la Cruz winning the stage and Marc Soler sealing the overall victory, 4 seconds ahead of Simon Yates.
Paris-Nice 2019: route, profiles, more
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