Paris-Nice 2026 route features team time trial and revamped final stage
Taking place from March 8-15, the 2026 route of the ‘Race to the Sun’ will feature eight stages, including one team time trial, over a total distance of 1,245km with an elevation gain of 16,460m.
The route for the 2026 edition of Paris-Nice has been revealed. The race will feature a summit finish at Auron as well as a team time trial, while there are changes to the final stage in Nice.
Matteo Jorgenson of Visma | Lease a Bike is the two-time defending champion. In 2025, the American rider beat Florian Lipowitz and Thymen Arensmen to victory in Nice.
Kicking off in Achères, the opening stage is one that will please the puncheurs with opportunities to attack on the two ascents of the steep Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes inside the final 30km.
In fact, the puncheurs are likely to be the most satisfied riders with this route, with stage 4 to Uchon, stage 5 to Colombier-le-Vieux, and stage 6 to Apt all featuring multiple climbs characterised by their steepness rather than length.
The sprinters will be looking at stage 2 to Montargis as an opportunity to make their mark, though, as is often the case with Paris-Nice, the riders will have to be wary of potential crosswind chaos.
The team time trial event returns for the fourth consecutive year to Paris-Nice, and with the opening stage of the 2026 Tour de France in Barcelona being a TTT for the first time since 1971, it’s an important opportunity to prepare and fine-tune ahead of the main event.
The TTT will take place in the Nièvre region with a distance of 23.5 kilometres between Cosne-sur-Loire and Pouilly-sur-Loire across rolling terrain.
For the second consecutive year, the race’s major summit finish will take place on stage 7 at Auron. In 2025, Michael Storer danced his way to victory on the slopes of the climb to Auron, whilst Mads Pedersen spectacularly led home the group of general classification contenders. This is the stage where the pure climbers will be looking to capitalise in the battle for the yellow jersey.
Due to municipal elections, the usual final stage has been adapted. The route still heads around the climbs of Nice, but the Col de la Porte (7km at 7.2%) is the most significant test, coming in the first half of the stage. The final categorised climb of the 2026 edition is the Côte du Linguador (3.3km at 8.8%), with the summit coming just under 20km to the finish line, where the winner of the 2026 'Race to the Sun' will be crowned.
In total, 22 teams will take to the start line. Among these are the 18 UCI WorldTour teams that secured automatic qualification. Meanwhile, the three ProTour teams that have automatically qualified, Cofidis, Pinarello-Q36.5 and Tudor Pro Cycling, are joined by TotalEnergies, who have been invited by the race organisers.
