The 77th Paris-Nice will tackle the mighty Col de Turini

The Queen stage of the 2019 edition of Paris-Nice will tackle the 14.9 km climb, with an average gradient of 7.3%

The Queen Stage 7 will tackle 1,607m Turini Pass, a very irregular climb, with very steep sections and others that are less demanding,  with very tight hairpin bends.

After six stages, this will be the hardest test of the season with  riders are not yet used to such long climbs.

The 181.5 km stage 7 will begin in Nice and takes on a total of six climbs. The category 1 Cote de Pelasque is the penultimate ascent, before the summit finish on the Turini.

Paris-Nice concludes the next day with a short but demanding 110km route around Nice, which features six climbs, including the Col d’Èze and Col des Quatre Chemins just ahead of the finish on the Promenade des Anglais.

Before that mountainous finale, the first major test for the general classification riders will be the stage 5 time trial. The 25.5km test in Barbentane is predominantly flat but it includes one climb in the second half of the route and a short rise to the finish line

The race will start in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the northwest suburbs of Paris on March 10. The opening stage will be an out and back affair and should be an opportunity for the sprinters. The two following stages from Les Bréviaires to Bellegarde (163km) and Cepoy to Moulins/Yzeure (200km) respectively will also be suited to a bunch sprint.

The 176.5km stage 6 from Peynier to Brignoles could off them another chance, though the three climbs in the final 60k ought to reduce the size of the peloton. Meanwhile, the rolling stage 4 from Vichy to Pélussin is the longest of the race at 210 km and could see the breakaway find success.

French rider Warren Barguil, has the fastest time up the climb on Strava ahead of Romain Bardet “It’s important to recon it. I also did the entire approach, because we will have to tackle the Côte de Pélasque slope beforehand and in total there will be 4,600 metres of gradient during the stage,” explained the Polka Dot Jersey winner on the 2017 Tour de France. “It’s a genuine high altitude pass, because we’ll be finishing above 1,600 metres”.

Well aware of the decisive status that this stage assumes, Barguil is counting on the Col de Turini to launch his season in the best possible way: “In comparison to previous years, I think it’s harder, for example, than La Couillole and harder than La Madone d’Utelle, where I’ve also ridden again recently. It’s irregular, but there aren’t many moments of respite. It’s like a genuine stage from the Tour de France”.

2019 Paris-Nice Stages

Stage 1: Sunday, March 10th - Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 138,5 km
Stage 2: Monday, March 11th - Les Bréviaires - Bellegarde, 163,5 km
Stage 3: Tuesday, March 12th - Cepoy - Moulins/Yzeure, 200 km
Stage 4: Wednesday, March 13th - Vichy - Pélussin, 210,5 km
Stage 5: Thursday, March 14th - Barbentane - Barbentane, 25,5 km (Time trial)
Stage 6: Friday, March 15th - Peynier - Brignoles, 176,5 km
Stage 7: Saturday, March 16th - Nice - Col de Turini La Bollène-Vésubie, 181,5 km
Stage 8: Sunday, March 17th - Nice - Nice, 110 km