Paris-Nice 2026 stage 8 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Breakaway win in Nice or another Vingegaard show?

The 2026 edition of Paris-Nice will be taking place from the 8th to the 15th of March and is, as every year, one of the key pro cycling events of the spring. It features opportunities for the climbers, sprinters and classics specialists alike. We preview stage 8, which is estimated to start and finish at 13:30 and 16:25CET.

The race was first held in 1933 and won by Belgian Alfons Schepers. Due to the race's nature, as the name says from Paris to Nice in the Mediterraneen sea; it is often called the 'Race to the Sun', and on the road that is quite literally often the case. It is an event, with 8 days in duration, that has crowned some of the sport's very best over the generations. Jacques Anquetil, Tom Simpson, Eddy Merckx, Raymond Poulidor, Joop Zoetemelk, Seak Kelly (the record holder, winning every single edition from 1982 to 1988), Miguel Indurain, Laurent Jalabert...

The list goes on and on, and in recent years the race hasn't lost any of its meaning. Modern legends such as Alberto Contador, Tony Martin, Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar have all inserted their names onto the history books. In 2025, it was Matteo Jorgenson who took the overall win, defending it successfully with a performance that spanned great stages in all terrains.

The final stage of the race starts and finishes in Nice, but it is not the traditional course that features several climbs and then the Col d'Èze. The format is quite similar, but the climbs not as difficult. The opening kilometers of the stage are also flat; and then slowly the peloton rises to the base of the Col du la Porte.

The 6.9-kilometer long climb averages 7% and summits with 79 kilometers to go, however it is the hardest of the day. The roller-coaster terrain sees the riders take on a very long descent and then immediately fter the Côte de Chateauneuf which is 6.7 kilometers long at 6.4%, ending with 46 kilometers to go. The small ascent to the Col du Aspremont follows; and then the new addition to the course.

The Côte de Linguador is a new face on the Paris-Nice route, 3.3 kilometers long at 8.2%. Not brutal, but certainly it can for sure create differences, specially if the day is attacked hard. The climb ends with 18.5 kilometers to go and the short descent is extremely technical, which can turn the race around in itself.

The final 13 kilometers are mostly flat, with the exception of a small rise with 7.5 kilometers to go where there is an intermediate sprint and a small climb where we may see some action. However, the race will not head into the city center this time around; and instead finish outside of it, with the final kilometers being flat and allowing for some sort of sprint to still decide the stage if there is collaboration between groups.

GC Fight - This could be an interesting stage if it ends up falling in this direction, because the outcome would be very uncertain. It is not a mountain stage as it was in previous years, but the 3-kilometer climb not too far from the finish is hard enough for attacks and the for the GC riders to go all-in and make differences.

On that side, we should see INEOS Grenadiers put pressure and have Kévin Vauquelin attack to try and enter the podium which is currently occupied by Georg Steinhauser. The German and Daniel Martínez want to maintain their place; whilst Jonas Vingegaard can pretty much do what he feels like. He will want to avoid crashing above all, but he may also win the stage if its attacked hard and comes down to that climb. However that's definitely not certain as the finale is very flat. Lenny Martínez has also been very strong and could for sure try to do something there.

Breakaway - However the profile remains one that favours a breakaway victory, from a rider who can climb well but also ideally have either a decently good sprint or good rouleur abilities. In this field we could include riders such as Andreas Leknessund, Aleksandr Vlasov, Mathias Vacek, Igor Arrieta, Joshua Tarling, Matteo Trentin, Nicolas Prodhomme, Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda and Damiano Caruso.

But how the stage is decided is fully up to the riders. We can see a solo win, a small group win from both breakaway or GC group, or even a small peloton sprint as a few riders in this peloton can sprint well and climb well too, who would be options in case the peloton were to magically reel it all in without big attacks - look at today's stage winner Dorian Godon, for example.

*** Andreas Leknessund, Mathias Vacek, Aleksandr Vlasov
** Jonas Vingegaard, Nicolas Prodhomme, Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda
* Dorian Godon, Igor Arrieta, Joshua Tarling, Matteo Trentin, Damiano Caruso, Kévin Vauquelin, Lenny Martínez, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Harold Tejada, Marc Soler, Ion Izagirree

Pick: Aleksandr Vlasov

How: Solo breakaway win.