Paris-Nice 2020 – Route and Analysis
Cycling can be seen as an exercise in style. Some specialize in specific roles, confident in a particular talent that they are able to put to good use in certain domains. Others who aspire to compete for the most prestigious honours must be allrounders. The latter will, once again, face a challenge that meets their expectations on Paris-Nice, from the start of the race in the suburbs of Paris, with a stage where the hills at the end of the race could pack a surprise. No offense to those who can’t stand cold weather, but the more conscientious riders may wish for a Flandrien-style climate at the start of the week. The freshness and gusts blowing during the crossing of the French Department of Loiret on the road to Chalette-sur-Loing, or in the plains of the Department of Cher to join La Châtre, could create ideal conditions to perfect the most delicate situations in strong winds. The Wednesday time-trial in Saint-Amand-Montrond, which is also known in France as the City of Gold will establish an already solid pecking order for the weekend.
Whilst the côte-Saint-André stage warrants serious caution for the teammates of the favourites, the stage on the following day in Vauclause will be even more unpredictable. Before the finish in Apt, a final 50 km circuit could scatter the field and jeopardize some riders’ positions in the GC. Those who come up short in this exercise will struggle on the final two stages, where the riders will be thinking of the upcoming Tour de France. The climb of the col de la Colmiane, where Simon Yates took the honours in 2018, will in fact be the first major challenge of the 2020 Grande Boucle, so each contender will have the motivation to find their bearings. However, the scenario, which went the way of Marc Soler two years ago, will dampen the enthusiasm of the yellow jersey. While the final stage has been completely changed, its potential remains the same. The climbs up the col de Porte, then the côte de Châteauneuf and côte d’Aspremont, will put the podium contenders in an awkward position. The final finish line, which will for the first time be in front of the Allianz Riviera, will be preceded by a winding descent where getting the trajectories right could be decisive.
Paris-Nice 2020 stages
Sunday, March 8th, stage 1: Plaisir > Plaisir, 154 km
Monday, March 9th, stage 2: Chevreuse > Chalette-sur-Loing, 166,5 km
Tuesday, March 10th, stage 3: Chalette-sur-Loing > La Châtre, 212,5 km
Wednesday, March 11th, stage 4: Saint-Amand-Montrond > Saint-Amand-Montrond, 15,1 km (individual time trial)
Thursday, March 12th, stage 5: Gannat > La Côte-Saint-André, 227 km
Friday, March 13th, stage 6: Sorgues > Apt, 160,5 km
Saturday, March 14th, stage 7: Nice > Valdeblore La Colmiane, 166,5 km
Sunday, March 15th, stage 8: Nice > Nice, 113,5 km
Analysis
Only the future will tell if we witnessed the emergence of a cycling master this past March on the slopes leading to the Col de Turini. These bends, where the careers of rally drivers where forged in the Monte Carlo Rally, also served as a springboard for an ambitious kid chasing after his first prestigious race on European soil. After wearing yellow at Turini and on the Promenade des Anglais, Egan Bernal was crowned victorious a few months later, sporting an even more impressive yellow jersey on the podium of the Champs-Elysées.
“I really started to think that I could win the Tour after my victory at Paris-Nice”, the first Colombian winner of the Grand Boucle admitted with hindsight, knowing that a champion’s path is marked by milestones representing a turning point or stages of progress. The title holder’s analysis echoes the words of other Tour winners, such as Geraint Thomas or even Alberto Contador, who also expressed in similar terms the decisive role of confidence gained in the Race to the Sun.
The lessons learned at the beginning of the season on the French Riviera are by no means premonitions, but a starting point that is always useful in revving up for the Tour de France: days spent facing the wind, testing yourself against the clock, demonstrating your mountain skills early, as well as how calm you are under pressure during descents, will serve as benchmarks in July when it’s 20 degrees warmer. This year, the imaginary bridge linking the two events will be all the more apparent as Nice plays host to the Grand Départ of the Tour.
The fight for the accolades at Paris-Nice, at La Colmiane in particular, will play out as a high-intensity prelude. The expectations set for the Alpes-Maritimes roads are higher than usual…