Paris–Nice 2021
The 2021 Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race that is held between 7 and 14 March 2021. It is the 79th edition of Paris–Nice and the sixth race of the 2021 UCI World Tour. The race generally runs as race class 2.UWT and covers flat and hill tracks.
Paris-Nice has been raced over eight days since 1933 and usually begins with a prologue in the Paris area and finishes with a final stage surrounding the city, either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze. As it travels in the first half of March, the event is recognized as The Race to the Sun, usually commencing in cold and wintry temperatures in the French capital before hitting the spring sunshine on the Côte d'Azur. In the last days of the run, the hilly course favors stage racers who frequently fight for victory.
As the competition's second event of the season, the first in Europe, Paris-Nice is part of the UCI World Tour, one of the iconic cycling events. It is run supported by ASO, which handles most other French World Tour races as well, most reputably the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix cycling flagships.
Paris-Nice last year was the last major international cycling event, as well as the last sporting competition in France. Due to the fast spread of the COVID-19, the race was shortened by removing the final stage.
The Route
The Paris-Nice route has promoted a traditional and popular format. The race normally begins on Sunday, most frequently with a prologue time trial near Paris, followed by a range of road stages, almost 1200 kilometers southwards across France.
Owing to France's geography, the early stages are typically flat and ideal for sprinters, before heading further south into the Provence region. There are generally some hilly to mountainous stages in the southern part of Paris-Nice, which are the deciding parts of the race.
The final stage on Sunday is either a road stage beginning on Nice's Promenade des Anglais or an uphill time trial on the Col d'Èze just outside Nice. Paris-Nice has also reflected a mini-Tour de France, known as The Race to the Sun, where riders need to be both qualified time-trialists and proficient to climb mountains.
Competing Teams
As usual, most of the experienced teams and cyclists take part in this race and keep their great accomplishments. Riders run through challenging trails for both winning the race and taking a strong practice for the next tour. Here the expected teams are included:
BORA - hansgrohe, Lotto Soudal, Cofidis - Solutions Crédits, AG2R La Mondiale, Groupama - FDJ, Team Arkéa Samsic, Deceuninck - Quick Step, NTT Pro Cycling, EF Pro Cycling, Bahrain - McLaren, Team Sunweb and so forth.
Current Winners
Maximilian Schachmann is a German rider of UCI WorldTeam Bora–Hansgrohe who won the overall classification of the 78th edition of Paris–Nice after the race was finished ensuing the seventh stage last year. He took first place by defeating Belgian Tiesj Benoot who was second, and Colombian Sergio Higuita who was third.
Other current winners are Egan Bernal (Team Sky) 2019, Marc Soler (Movistar Team) 2018, Sergio Henao (Team Sky) 2017, Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) 2016 and Richie Porte (Team Sky) 2015.