The route of the 2026 Paris-Nice was unveiled today in Versailles, less than three months before the start of the 84th edition of the “Course au Soleil” (Race to the Sun), in the Yvelines department.

The group will set off on Sunday, March 8th from Achères, a city making its debut in the race, and will reach Nice a week later after facing the usual difficulties: sprints, fans, a team time trial, hills and big climbs.

The question of who will succeed Matteo Jorgenson will be decided on this unprecedented route. The challenge could feature riders such as Simon Yates (2nd in 2018 and 2022), João Almeida (6th in 2025), Juan Ayuso, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Mattias Skjelmose (4th in 2024), or, among the French, Kévin Vauquelin, Lenny Martinez, and David Gaudu (2nd in 2023). As for stage victories, Mads Pedersen, Olav Kooij, and Michael Matthews, already winners on the route, will aim to repeat their feat.

Almost every year, the Promenade des Anglais is the place where the peloton gathers to warm up and launch the season. But in 2026, due to local elections, the 84th Paris-Nice will present a new setting to crown the winner of the Race to the Sun: the event will take place at the Riviera stadium on Sunday, March 15, after a week of hard work including campaigns, time trials, climbs, and the fight for the yellow and white jersey won by Matteo Jorgenson in 2024 and 2025.

To defend his title, the Nice-based rider will line up at the start on Sunday, March 8th, in Achères, which becomes the 30th city in the Yvelines to host a stage of the Race to the Sun. The opening stage promises to be a battle, with a final circuit around Carrières-sous-Poissy, passing through the Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes, a symbolic climb of the Polymultipliée. The following day, the peloton will cross the Gâtinais plains, ideal terrain for fans. The sprinters will try to shine between Épône and Montargis (stage 2) before making way for the general classification contenders.

Ahead of the Tour de France Grand Départ in Barcelona, the Nice-style team time trial between Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire and Pouilly-sur-Loire (Stage 3) will serve as a dress rehearsal. The riders will then head to the roads of the Morvan, made famous by the 2021 Tour de France. This time, the Uchon climb will not only be part of the route, but will also decide the stage winner and perhaps a new race leader.

The second half of this 84th Paris-Nice is packed with climbs. Stage 5, the longest of the week, also features the most elevation gain until the finish in Colombier-le-Vieux. The following day, a thrilling finale awaits in Apt (stage 6), with one final climb in the final five kilometers.

Over the weekend in Nice, the peloton will return to the Promenade des Anglais for the start of stage 7, heading towards Auron, where Michael Storer delivered a remarkable performance in spring 2025. The following day, the final stage will wind around the Riviera stadium and explore new heights. The decisive showdown awaits on the challenging climbs of the Côte du Linguador.

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