Except for the flat opening of 25 kilometres, the route goes either up or down. Seven ascents are classified, but that’s arbitrary – it could have been more, easily. On the other land, the climbs are never long.
Between kilometre 25 en kilometre 85 the route takes in the Col de Chèvres (2.3 kilometres at 7.6%), Col de Brancion (not classified), Col de la Pistole (3.6 kilometres at 6.6%), Côte de Croix de Montmain (3.6 kilometres at 5.4%), and the Côte de la roche de Solutré (4.1 kilometres at 5.5%). After moving through Fleurie the riders enter a demanding finishing circuit in the Beaujolais region.
The circuit serves a double ascent of both Mont Brouilly (3 kilometres at 7.7%) and the Col de Durbize (4 kilometres at 6,4%). That last climb is also the first part of the final ascent. The riders turn right to Les Saignes when they reach the pass for the second time to continue climbing all the way to the line in Chiroubles.
The Durbize promises to detonate the fireworks, mainly because it is so irregular. The second and fourth kilometre go up at more than 10%, while the third kilometre is nearly flat. The last 3.3 kilometre are not as crazy and rise at almost 6%.
The finish climb totals 7.3 kilometres and the average gradient sits at 6%.
The first thee riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while two intermediate sprints – at kilometre 140 and 185: on the Col de Durbize, that is – come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Another interesting read: results 4th stage Paris-Nice 2021.
Paris-Nice 2021 stage 4: route, profiles, more
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