Apart from a short climb right from the start and the Côte de Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (2.5 kilometres at 5%) about half an hour into the stage, the first 100 kilometres are almost completely flat. Four more small climbs follow in the remainder of the route, though to be honest they aren’t very challenging either. Sprinters aren’t without a chance in the finish town of Apt, especially the tougher, more resilient types.
The hillier second half of the stage begins with the Côte de Bonnieux, a 2.5-kilometre climb at 4.6%. After the descent, the route undulates towards the Côte de l’Aire Deï Masco, which rises for 7.1 kilometres at 4.4%. From the top, there are 33.2 kilometres remaining.
A long descent leads to the base of an uncategorised climb, which stretches 2.7 kilometres at 5.3% and which top hosts the intermediate sprint. The riders then descend to the foot of the Côte de Saignon, a 4-kilometre climb at 5% with the final 650 metres ramping up to 7.3%.
Passing through the hilltop village, there are just 4.5 kilometres to go, which is a straight downhill run onto the flat final kilometre.
In 2020, the Race to the Sun also finished in Apt. That year’s course was far more demanding, and Tiesj Benoot took the victory.
The first three riders across the line gain 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds, while 6, 4 and 2 seconds are up for grabs at the intermediate sprint.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 6 Paris-Nice 2026.
Stage 6 of Paris–Nice starts at 12:40 and the race is expected to finish around 17:00 – both local times (CET).
Paris-Nice 2026 stage 6: route, profile, videos
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