Turini climb could play kingmaker in Paris-Nice

The Col de Turini high in the Alpes-Maritimes could play kingmaker in the 80th edition of Paris-Nice.

Race officials unveiled course details Wednesday for the so-called “Race to the Sun,” set to run March 6-13 from the outskirts of Paris to Nice along France’s Côte d’Azur.

“It is only natural for a race that will stage its 80^th edition in March to have finally found the right balance and Paris-Nice makes everything it can to keep it while improving it slightly every year,” a press release stated. “There will be something for every taste, even the most demanding ones, on the menu on offer between Mantes-la-Ville and the Promenade des Anglais.”

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The route follows the traditional blueprint for what’s the first major road race on the European calendar.

The opening three stages present opportunities for sprinters to snag an early-season win, with crosswinds and echelons a permanent danger as the route pushes south across the flat farmland in central France.

A stage 4 time trial on a lumpy course of 13.4km will set some GC hierarchy as the route continues south.

Stage 5 skirts the Massif Central, and stage 6 loops across Provence, and both profiles will see a chance for breakaways.

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The “queen stage” on Saturday ends atop Col de Turini, a first-category summit (14.9km at 7.3 percent). It was last featured in 2019, when Dani Martínez beat Miguel Ángel López for the stage win.

Eventual winner Egan Bernal used the stage to catapult into the leader’s jersey, a win that boded well for his Tour de France victory later that season.

The race finale follows the familiar loop up and around Col d’Eze high above Nice, ending on the Promenade des Anglais.

All 18 WorldTour teams will line up to the WorldTour’s first major European stage race in 2022, along with Arkéa-Samsic, Alpecin-Fenix, which both qualify as the top-two teams in the ProTour ranking. B&B Hotels-KTM and TotalEnergies also received invites to race.

80th Paris-Nice (March 6-13)

Sunday, March 6^th, stage 1: Mantes-la-Ville to Mantes-la-Ville, 159.8km

Monday, March 7^th, stage 2: Auffargis to Orléans, 159.2km

Tuesday, March 8^th, stage 3: Vierzon to Dun-le-Palestel, 190.8km

Wednesday, March 9^th, stage 4: Domérat to Montluçon, 13.4km (time trial)

Thursday, March 10^th, stage 5: Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert to Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut, 188.8km

Friday, March 11^st, stage 6: Courthézon to Aubagne, 213.6km

Saturday, March 12^nd, stage 7: Nice to Col de Turini La Bollène-Vésubie, 155.4km

Sunday, March 13^rd, stage 8: Nice to Nice, 115.6km