Paris-Nice 2024 Route stage 4: Chalon-sur-Saône

Paris-Nice 2024 Route stage 4: Chalon-sur-Saône - Mont Brouilly

Wednesday 6 March - The 4th stage of Paris-Nice is bound to bring spectacle. The 183 kilometres race from Chalon-sur-Saône to Mont Brouilly takes in seven climbs. The race ends on a punchy finishing circuit in the Beaujolais region, where the climb to the line is 3 kilometres long and averaging 7.7%.

Three years ago the 4th stage of Paris-Nice also set off from Chalon-sur-Saône and the course was similar. Seven climbs of Liège–Bastogne–Liège’ish proportions. Not very long, yet brutally exhausting. The finish was in Chiroubles, where Primoz Roglic took the spoils with a late attack. Mont Brouilly was the penultimate climb on the route.

The last ever finish of the Race to the Sun on Mont Brouilly dates back to 2017’s ITT. It was the heyday of Julian Alaphilippe and he outperformed Alberto Contador and Tony Gallopin. That race was a rain check – or rather, a snow check – for the year before, when a summit finish in Brouilly was cancelled due to heavy snowfall.

Let’s hope the Race to the Sun will honour its name this time. Subsequent to the start in Chalon-sur-Saône the riders head out in southwesterly direction before spinning off to the south. In the process the riders tackle Côte de Mont-Saint-Vincent (2.9 kilometres at 6.3%), Col de Boubon (4.4 kilometres at 6%), Côte de Vauxrenard (3.2 kilometres at 6.7%), and Col du Durbize (2.2 kilometres at 9.4%).

The riders cross the line for the first time almost 17 kilometres after cresting the Durbize – obviously after the ascent of Mont Brouilly. Which is a 3 kilometres long climb with an average gradient of 7.7%. The sprint for time bonuses happens right after the descent and 5 kilometres later the riders enter Col du Fût d’Avenas. The penultimate climb is 5.1 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 7.3%.

Still almost 22 kilometres left to race atop the Fût d’Avenas, which is all on descent until the riders hit Mont Brouilly fo the second time. It opens quite gently with a 6.1% gradient in the first kilometre. Yet kilometre 2 comes with an average gradient of 7.9% before a guy with a hammer welcomes the riders in the final kilometre. Averaging at 9.3%, the steepest section at 25% kicks in with 500 metres remaining.

The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint comes with 6, 4 and 2 seconds.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 4 Paris-Nice 2024.

Another interesting read: results 4th stage 2024 Paris-Nice.