Paris-Nice organizers may fear queen stage cancellation again this year

The mountain stage to Auron in Paris-Nice seems cursed. In 2024 and 2025, the organizers were already forced to alter the route due to poor weather conditions, and this year doesn't look any better. According to the latest weather forecasts, riders should prepare for snow and wintry temperatures.

The predicted conditions for Saturday — when the queen stage is scheduled — offer little reason for optimism. Significant snowfall is expected, temperatures will hover around freezing, and the wind chill will make it feel even colder. On top of that, the wind is expected to pick up further as the day progresses.

In other words: the organizers once again face uncertainty about whether the stage will take place. In 2024, the stage finishing on the final climb in Auron was completely cancelled due to (too) adverse weather. Last year, the finish on the slopes was maintained, but the stage was heavily shortened, cutting out the Côte de Belvédère and Col de La Colmiane.

This is (for now) the route
The penultimate stage heads to the ski resort of Auron, where the finish line is drawn after a 7.3-kilometer climb at an average gradient of just over 7%. Last year, the French race did finish in Auron: Michael Storer managed to solo to victory in almost apocalyptic conditions.

Before the final climb, the route is not extremely tough. If the stage can go ahead, the Côte de Carros (7 km at 5.1%) and Côte de Bouyon (1.7 km at 5.3%) shortly after the start offer an opportunity for a strong breakaway to get clear, but after that comes a long middle section. The route then steadily slopes upward to the foot of the real final climb.