The first 120 kilometres take place on relatively rugged terrain. Yet, the Côte des Loges (1.4 kilometres at 5%), Côte de Bouville (1.4 kilometres at 4.4%) and Côte du Pressoir (1.1 kilometres at 5.9%) are unlikely to be the most explicit threat that the sprinters face. The often inclement conditions of northern France in March contain many a pitfall, both for fast finishers and GC contenders.
Following the undulating first part of the race, the last 45 kilometres are virtually flat.
Last year’s 2nd stage came down to a sprint of seven. Dylan Groenewegen outgunned Iván García and Philippe Gilbert at the end of a windswept race.
The first thee riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while two intermediate sprints (at kilometre 27.5 and at kilometre 116) come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Another interesting read: results stage 2 Paris-Nice 2020.
Paris-Nice 2020 stage 2: route, profile, more
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