Editorial

Paris-Nice… The Race to the Sun… Let’s hope that this year the sun shines the whole week through on this 69^th edition of the race whose route offers something for every type of rider.
From the department of Yvelines – hosting the Grand Départ of the race for the first time – to the French Riviera, the peloton will have to take on a route that truly has it all.
The race kicks off in Houdan, where this year a circuit race replaces the usual prologue time trial. It’s then on to the vast plains of the Beauce region, where riders will have to deal with strong winds on the road that leads from Montfort l’Amaury to Amilly.
Next up, the famous vineyards of Burgundy and Beaujolais, via the towns of Nuits-Saint-Georges, Belleville and another new place name to this race, Crêches-sur-Saône.
Two more towns new to the race as a stage start and finish come the following day in the shape of Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise and Vernoux-en-Vivarais for stage five – a tough day that tackles the climbs of the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret and the Col de la Mûre.
With the climbers having had their day, stage six offers something for the time-trial specialists: 27 kilometres against the clock from Rognes to Aix-en-Provence.
Will the overall winner already ride their way into the history books there? Possibly, but then anything could still happen between Brignoles and Biot-Sophia Antipolis, which hosts a stage finish for the first time.
What is certain is that we’ll know the name of our winner the next day, that’s for sure, following the traditional finale on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

Christian PRUDHOMME