Preview Paris-Nice 2024 | Year after Pogacar vs. Vingegaard, now BORA-Roglic against Tour-Evenepoel!

The Race to the Sun, here we go! Paris-Nice is known in the peloton as one of the toughest stage races on the calendar, where the level of nervousness rivals that of the Tour de France. Not surprising, as classic riders, sprinters and general classification contenders all show up in top form here. IDLProCycling.com guides you through the 2024 edition!

Just one glance at the recent honor roll tells you enough: this is no race for the faint-hearted. With Tadej Pogacar, Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas, three Tour de France winners are on the recent list of victors, while Primoz Roglic and Richie Porte have also stood on the podium of the world's biggest race. Looking even further, you will find more stars including Bradley Wiggins and Alberto Contador.

Last year, Paris-Nice was the setting for a grand duel between Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, with the Slovenian dominating over his Danish rival. This season, both gentlemen prefer Tirreno-Adriatico.

Most recent winners Paris-Nice

2023 Tadej Pogacar
2022 Primoz Roglic
2021 Max Schachmann
2020 Max Schachmann
2019 Egan Bernal
2018 Marc Soler
2017 Sergio Henao
2016 Geraint Thomas
2015 Richie Porte
2014 Carlos Betancur

Paris-Nice 2024: Course, favorites daily wins and times

Stage 1, Sunday, March 3: Les Mureaux - Les Mureaux (158.0 km)

Paris-Nice kicks off with a tricky stage, where the peloton will face several challenging hills in the final phase of the race, hitting double-digit gradients. Both strong sprinters and breakaway hopefuls will be eyeing success here.

Climbs
10.6 km: Cote de Bazemont (1.7 km at 6.6%)
90.8 km: Cote d'Herbeville (2.6 km at 5.1%)
119.9 km: Cote de Bazemont (1.7 km at 6.6%)
149.7 km: Cote d'Herbeville (2.6 km at 5.1%)

Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla)
Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny)

Times
Start: 1:15 PM
Finish 4:38 PM

Stage 2, Monday, March 4: Thoiry - Montargis (179 km)

The second stage of Paris-Nice is a great opportunity for the sprinters. There are hardly any significant elevation gains, so normally all the sprinter teams will be on high alert for this golden chance in Montargis.

Climbs
12.6 km: Cote des Mesnuls (1.2 km at 5.7%)
66.5 km: Cote de Villerconin (0.7 km at 6.3%)

Favorites
Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla)

Times
Start: 12:35 PM
Finish 4:34 PM

Stage 3, Tuesday, March 5: Auxerre - Auxerre (26.9 km)

A 27-kilometer team time trial on day three serves as a stern test in Paris-Nice. Around Auxerre, the riders and teams will need to overcome some elevation gains in the first half before heading towards the finish in a flat line.

Climbs
None.

Favorites
UAE-Team Emirates
Soudal Quick-Step
Visma | Lease a Bike

Times
Start: 2:40 PM
Finish 4:34 PM

Stage 4, Wednesday, March 6: Chalon-sur-Saone - Mont Brouilly (183 km)

This stage could be described as the French equivalent of the well-known 'walls stage' in Tirreno-Adriatico. It features seven climbs, with the organizers indicating six of them with the warning triangle (gradients above 13%). The stage concludes with a finish atop Mont Brouilly, a three-kilometer hill averaging 7.7 percent.

Climbs
33.4 km: Cote du Mont-Saint-Vincent (2.9 km at 6.3%)
88.8 km: Col de Boubon (4.4 km at 6%)
104.1 km: Cote de Vauxrenard (3.2 km at 6.7%)
127.5 km: Col de Durbize (2.2 km at 9.4%)
144.2 km: Mont Brouilly (3 km at 7.7%)
161, 1 km: Col du Fut d'Avenas (5.1 km at 7.3%)
183.0 km: Mont Brouilly (3 km at 7.7%)

Favorites
Primoz Roglic (BORA-hansgrohe)
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)

Times
Start: 12:00 PM
Finish 4:34 PM

Stage 5, Thursday, March 7: Saint-Saveur-de-Montagut - Sisteron (193.5 km)

The fifth stage of Paris-Nice is a toss-up. The strong sprinters will surely want to seize their chance, but the breakaway riders might also see an opportunity. Therefore, everyone should keep their eyes peeled in the opening phase.

Climbs
82.5 km: Col de la Sausse (2.7 km at 5.2%)
118.1 km: Col de Peyruergue (5.4 km at 4.9%)
146.2 km: Cote de la Rochette-du-Buis (2.4 km at 5.4%)

Favorites
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny)
Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceunick)

Times
Start: 11:55 AM
Finish 4:31 PM

Stage 6, Friday, March 8: Sisteron - La Colle-sur-Loup (198.5 km)

The Friday stage in Paris-Nice could be a typical transitional stage. The day includes six hills, with the notably steep Cote de la Colle-sur-Loup, averaging ten percent, possibly standing out. After the final climb, there are ten kilometers left, leading up to a nasty uphill finish. It is an ideal stage for the classic specialists.

Climbs
69.8 km: Col des Leques (6.6 km at 5%)
87.4 km: Col de Luens (6.8 km at 4.7%)
92.6 km: Cote de la Blachette (3 km at 5.5%)
140.5 km: Col de Gourdon (6.3 km at 4.3%)
169.8 km: Cote de la Colle-sur-Loup (1.8 km at 10%)
177.2 km: Col des Leques (6.6 km at 5%)

Favorites
Oier Lazkano (Movistar)
Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan Team)
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious)

Times
Start: 11:50 AM
Finish 4:33 PM

Stage 7, Saturday, March 9: Nice - Auron (173.0 km)

The penultimate stage of Paris-Nice heads to the summit of Auron and can be considered a serious mountain stage after the two previous climbs. The better climbers in the Race to the Sun will want to put their best foot forward here.

Climbs
10.1 km: Cote de Gattieres (4.5 km at 4.8%)
120.2 km: La Colmiane (7.5 km at 7.1%)
173.0 km: Auron (7.3 km at 7.1%)

Favorites
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
Primoz Roglic (BORA-hansgrohe)
Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)

Times
Start: 10:35 AM
Finish 3:08 PM

Stage 8, Sunday, March 10: Nice - Nice (109.5 km)

Paris-Nice traditionally concludes with a tricky stage in and around Nice, and 2024 is no different. Again, the race will cover just over a hundred kilometers, but typically, a lot happens within that distance!

Climbs
21.0 km: Cote des Levens (6.2 km at 4.9%)
36.9 km: Cote de Chateauneuf (5.4 km at 4.6%)
50.9 km: Cote de Berre-les-Alpes (6.3 km at 6.0%)
68.6 km: Cote de Peille (6.6 km at 6.9%)
100.3 km: Col des Quatre-Chemins (3.6 km at 8.8%)

Favorites
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates)
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike)

Times
Start: 12:05 PM
Finish 2:49 PM

Favorites general classification Paris-Nice 2024

As always, Paris-Nice boasts a strong field of participants. Last year, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard stood out, but this year the spotlight is on another illustrious pair: Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step on one side and Primoz Roglic of BORA-hansgrohe on the other. Evenepoel is truly starting his Tour de France project here, while Roglic will be competing in his first race for BORA-hansgrohe.

Both men are supported by their respective lieutenant riders, Ilan Van Wilder and Aleksandr Vlasov, yet there is still plenty of competition. For instance, Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek, who has also targeted this race. The Dane is a strong climber, has a powerful team and possesses a fast sprint.

Visma | Lease a Bike is counting on Matteo Jorgenson, one of the men from the Opening Weekend, and Wilco Kelderman. They might not be the top stage race riders, but Nice-resident Jorgenson could surprise. Felix Gall is the main man for the in-form Decathlon AG2R team, and the robust Austrian should also be considered capable of showing his best on the climbs.

Then there are the teams from the Middle East, with Bahrain Victorious and UAE-Team Emirates leading the way. The Bahraini team is fielding Santiago Buitrago, Jack Haig and Pello Bilbao, while UAE-Team Emirates, with former winner Marc Soler, Brandon McNulty, Finn Fisher-Black, Felix Grosschartner, Jay Vine and Joao Almeida, opens up a strong roster.

INEOS Grenadiers is banking on Carlos Rodríguez, while Jayco AlUla is playing the Luke Plapp card. Groupama-FDJ, meanwhile, is pinning its hopes on French contender David Gaudu. Other distant contenders include Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) and Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar).

Who are the favorites for the general classification of Paris-Nice 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com?

Top favorites: Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Primoz Roglic (BORA-hansgrohe)
Outsiders: Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrian Victorious), Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R)
Long shots: David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers), Joao Almeida, Jay Vine (UAE-Team Emirates), Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe) and Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step)

TV Paris-Nice 2024

Paris-Nice can be followed next week on Sporza (on VRT 1) and Eurosport (via the main channel and the online platforms). On weekdays, the coverage starts in the afternoon around 3:00 PM, while on the weekend, the start and finish times are moved a bit earlier.