COL DE LA COUILLOLE
The famous Nice to Pra-Loup stage in 1975, when Bernard Thévenet removed the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Eddy Merckx, included an ascent of the Col de la Couillole, the polka-dot jersey of King of the Mountains Lucien Van Impe leading over its summit. The world’s elite racers returned here during the 2017 edition of Paris-Nice, when Richie Porte was the winner as this summit hosted a finish for the first time. “The Race to the Sun” returned to the Col de la Couillole for a second summit finish in 2023, when Tadej Pogačar came out on top before going on to add his name to the race’s palmarès at the end of the final weekend in Nice.
- First-time stage finish
- Alpine pass (1,678m) in the department Alpes-Maritimes (06)
- Population: 560,000 within the 51 communes comprising the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolitan area
