Organizers consider alternative route for Paris-Nice queen stage due to bad weather

Will the queen stage of Paris-Nice take place on Saturday afternoon? It’s a question we seem to have to ask ourselves every year, and this edition is no different. The organizers are considering alternatives.

The French stage race has not been spared bad weather in recent years. Both the 2024 and 2025 editions had to adjust the toughest stage of the week due to severe weather conditions. This time again, poor weather is forecast in the finish town of Auron. Freezing temperatures and even snow could affect the riders there.

As a result, organizer ASO is concerned, course designer Thierry Gouvenou tells Sporza. “But canceling the stage is not an option. At the moment, we are consulting with the French government, regional authorities, and municipalities to see if we can come up with a plan B. We want to avoid a situation where we would have to cancel the race.”

Gouvenou is not yet willing to specify what that alternative route might involve. “Plan B is likely to include shortening the stage and looking for a finish location at a lower altitude. That’s what we are currently considering,” the Frenchman explains.

For now, 138.7 kilometers are scheduled between Nice and Auron, culminating in a final climb of 7.3 kilometers at an average gradient of 7.2 percent. The riders will climb up to 1,600 meters in altitude.