What some are saying about Paris-Nice

The eight stage 2012 Paris-Nice race starts March 4th.

History

From the A.S.O.’s website about the race: “Albert Lejune, owner of two newspapers Le Petit Journal based in Paris, and Le Petit Niçois based in Nice, created Les Six Jours de la Route in 1933 to establish a link between the two newspapers…The jersey of the leader was azure and gold in colour, evoking the blue of the Mediterranee and the golden sun in Nice.”

INRNG: “Often whole stages have been ridden whilst the snow falls and in 1980 the riders finally had enough of this and protested, organising a peloton strike.”

What some are saying about the race

Bradley Wiggins: “By now most of the riders have got a warm-up race or two in, but those are more low-key: everyone is smiling, and they are there to see how their legs are. Paris-Nice is a serious race. It carries a lot of World Tour points, and the points you score here help decide the position of your team car in the Classics, which is done through the best rider’s World Tour ranking.”

Cycling Weekly: “The final Col d’Eze time trial returns after an 11-year absence from the event. Over the years, cycling greats Eddy Merckx, Sean Kelly, Raymond Poulidor and Stephen Roche all sealed their wins in Paris-Nice on the climb.” The Col d’Eze is the final stage.

Paris-Nice Col d'Eze profile

Mikkel Condé’s picks for possible winners: “One could argue that the course favors riders like Tony Martin and Bradley Wiggins, but with steep stages finishes like the one on Mende, suddenly Alejandro Valverde becomes the favorite – or what?”

Winners since 2000