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The 84th edition of Paris-Nice, the first major stage race of the cycling season, will take place from March 8 to 15, 2026. As usual, it will start in the Yvelines (Achères) and finish on the French Riviera. But this year, a major novelty: the final finish will not be judged on the traditional Promenade des Anglais, but inside the Allianz Riviera stadium, the home of OGC Nice. The reason? The first round of municipal elections on March 15, which will requisition the Promenade for polling stations. In total, the riders will cover approximately 1,250 km with over 16,000 m of positive elevation gain, a demanding route that promises to be one of the toughest in the event’s recent history.
Image: paris-nice.fr
Key moments of the route
- The team time trial: a completely flat 23 km stage between Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire and Pouilly-sur-Loire. This collective exercise will serve as an ideal rehearsal for the team time trial planned for the 2026 Tour de France in Barcelona. The teams will make their final adjustments there, without necessarily aiming for a definitive hierarchy. Matteo Jorgenson, the two-time defending champion, is not certain to defend his title with the same team.
- The stage in the Morvan: a decisive day with a summit finish in Uchon (scene of Matej Mohorič’s victory in the 2021 Tour de France). On the menu: the Côte de la Croix de la Libération (4.6 km at 5.3%) and the Côte d’Uchon, for a total of nearly 2,520 m of elevation gain.
- The Ardèche roller coaster: the next stage, the longest (205.4 km), between Cormoranche-sur-Saône and Colombier-le-Vieux, with over 3,000 m of elevation gain, promises to be a real test.
- The highlight in Auron: the day before the final finish, the climb to the Auron resort (approximately 7.3 km at 7.2%) will be the big rendezvous for climbers. Michael Storer triumphed there last year in the snow, after a long breakaway.
The last stage, reshaped, will avoid the Col d’Èze to favor other difficulties such as the Côte du Linguador, before a spectacular finish in the Nice stadium.
The teams at the start
The 18 WorldTour teams will be at the start, joined by the three best ProTeams of 2025 (Cofidis, Pinarello-Q36.5, Tudor) and TotalEnergies, invited by the organizer ASO.
The stages of Paris-Nice 2026
08/03 – St. 1: Achères – Carrières-sous-Poissy (171.2 km)
09/03 – St. 2: Épône – Montargis (187 km)
10/03 – St. 3: Cosne-sur-Loire – Pouilly-sur-Loire (23.5 km – Team TT)
11/03 – St. 4: Bourges – Uchon (195 km)
12/03 – St. 5: Cormoranche-sur-Saône – Colombier-le-Vieux (205.4 km)
13/03 – St. 6: Barbentane – Apt (179.3 km)
14/03 – St. 7: Nice – Auron (138.7 km)
15/03 – St. 8: Nice – Nice (145 km)
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