Paris-Nice 2026 - Profiles, route and teams

Paris-Nice 2026 already has its route. The organisers unveiled the course for the 84th Race to the Sun on Wednesday in Versailles, starting on Sunday, March 8th 2026 in Achères and finishing a week later in Nice. It’s a varied edition: chances for sprinters, wind-exposed days, a team time trial, punchy finales, and high-mountain stages.

Achères debuts as the start town, becoming the 30th locality in the Yvelines department to host the race. Day one should spark early action with a finishing circuit in Carrières-sous-Poissy, where the Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes could cause the first splits. Stage 2, from Épône to Montargis, crosses the Gâtinais plains, a setting suited both to echelons and a bunch sprint.

The third day is reserved for the team time trial between Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire and Pouilly-sur-Loire, a benchmark for squads with general classification ambitions. From there, the race heads into the Morvan, with the climb to Uchon set to judge the stage and potentially reshape the standings.

The second half ramps up in difficulty. Stage 5, the longest with the most elevation gain, will take the peloton to Colombier-le-Vieux and inflict notable wear. The next day, the finish in Apt promises excitement, with a decisive ascent inside the final five kilometres.

The finale in Nice takes an unusual shape due to municipal elections. On Saturday, 14.03.2026, Stage 7 will roll out from the Promenade des Anglais towards Auron. On Sunday, the race concludes with a finishing circuit around the Riviera stadium, exploring new climbs and featuring the demanding Côte du Linguador as the key point to decide the winner.

On the sporting front, Matteo Jorgenson’s successor will be crowned on an unprecedented route. Among the favourites for the overall are Simon Yates, Joao Almeida, Juan Ayuso, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Mattias Skjelmose, as well as the Frenchmen Kevin Vauquelin, Lenny Martinez and David Gaudu. For the stages, riders such as Mads Pedersen, Olav Kooij and Michael Matthews stand out as references.

Paris–Nice 2026 will start with 22 teams. The 18 WorldTeams will be joined by the top three ProTeams in the 2025 UCI ranking — Cofidis, Pinarello–Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and Tudor Pro Cycling Team — plus invited squad TotalEnergies. A mix that guarantees depth and variety in a week that once again sets the tone for the European season.