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Stage by stage
stage 8 - Nice 
Col d'Èze
9.6 km
Sunday 11 March
Col d'Èze
9.6 km
Sunday 11 March
Individual time-trial - A sporting perspective
The famous Nice-Col d’Eze time trial returns to top billing. First Eddy Merckx in 1969, then Raymond Poulidor, Joop Zoetemelk, Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly, or Jean-François Bernard all triumphed on this athletic exercise. The pass that overlooks the French Riviera will play host to the finishing line where the final verdict will fall. Over almost 10 kilometres, the performance of a climber who is also a good all-rounder could totally upset the hierarchy at the top of the general classification.
Nice
Sea side© City of Nice
Capital of the Riviera, France’s fifth city with 350,000 inhabitants, the country’s second tourist hub with over 4.5 million visitors a year and home to France’s second airport with 10 million passengers a year, Nice boasts a unique setting and an exceptional climate. A key venue for large international events, it is also an outstanding sports centre, which earned the title "European City of Sport" in 2011. Fully supported by Mayor Christian Estrosi MP, this sporting ambition looks set to extend still further with the delivery of Nice Stadium in June 2013, an ultra-modern facility that will stand at the centre of the future eco-district of Saint-Isidore. A symbol of the city, this 35,000-seat stadium – also to house the National Sports Museum – will be the culmination of an unprecedented investment policy with €40 million channelled into sports facilities since 2008.