A month ago I I announced the official route for Paris-Nice 2010. I presented the start and finish cities and the profiles of the mountain stages.

In this article you'll find, as usual, all details of the route including the route and time schedules (itinéraires horaires), the stage profiles of all stages and of course the route of this 68th edition of the Race to the sun on Google Maps/Google Earth!

In another article you'll soon be able to discover the 22 participating teams for Paris-Nice 2010 with their leaders and the sponsors of the race. In contrast to what was announced before, Luis Léon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne), who won Paris-Nice in 2009, will finally defend his title!

All details of the Paris-Nice 2010 route including the route on Google Maps/Google Earth

sunday 7 March 2010 - prologue - Montfort-l'Amaury > Montfort-l'Amaury - 8 km

As usual, Paris-Nice 2010 starts with a prologue (a short individual time trial) and this year this will be a 8 kilometer stage around Montfort-l'Amaury. At the end of this article you'll find an overview of the different activitities organised in the stage cities of Paris-Nice 2010.

The start of this stage is in the Rue de la Moûtière and the riders will than follow the Rue Normande > Rue de Paris > Rue de Mantes before going left on the round about towards the Route de Rambouillet (D138) where they'll find a short climb, the Côte de Boursouffle (3rd category). The stage continues via the Route de Saint-Léger where they turn right towards Grosrouvre where they turn left to the Chemin de la Cour de l'Orme and finally again left to the Route du Chêne Rogneux and left again towards the finish on the Route de Saint-Léger.

The first rider starts at 1.40PM and the last one at 4.35PM. According to the time schedule they would do the 8 kilometers in 10 minutes.

For more information about Paris-Nice 2010, the site of the city of Montfort-l'Amaury points towards the dedicated section on the site of the Yvelines department.

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them. Finally you can discover this stage's route as presented by Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux) in a video from the Yvelines department:

Monday 8 March 2010 - 2nd stage - Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines > Contres - 201,5 km

The second stage also starts in the Yvelines, from the city of Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines to be more precise. This is the city where Paris-Tours used to start until 2008. The Paris-Nice stage starts on the Avenue Henri Grivot and the podium signature (where the riders sign in before the start) will be on the Place Jean Moulin.
This stage finishes 201,5 kilometers further in a city which has never before received Paris-Nice: Contres (Loir-et-Cher).

The two intermediate sprints of this stage will be in Gaubert after 66 kilometers and in Herbault at 56.5 kilometers from the finish. The feed zone will be in Ouzouer-le-Marché. This stage will most probably and in a bunch sprint on the final straight line of 600 meters.

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them.

Tuesday 9 March 2010 - 3rd stage - Contres > Limoges - 203,5 km

The start of the third stage is also in Contres, for a 203.5 kilometer stage towards Limoges. The riders will start at 11.40AM for the départ fictif to go to the départ réel via the Avenue du Général de Gaulle, Rue Pierre Henri Mauger, Rue des Combattants en Afrique du Nord, the D.675, the D.157, coming through Sassay, C.7 and finally the départ réel at the Le Clouseau sign in the opposite direction of the stage on the D.675 (at 6.5 kilometers from the start).
The finish in Limoges was announced in August last year already by the city's mayor, Alain Rodet, at the finish of the last stage of the Tour du Limousin 2009. The finish line will be drawn on the Boulevard de Beaublanc after a 250 meter long straight part with a hidden gradient, at the Palais des Sports, where the sprinters will most probably battle for the stagewinst at the same place where the Tour du Limousin usually finishes.

During this stage the riders will climb the Côte de Saint-Aignan after 15 kilometers, but also the Côte de Maison Neuve at 45 kilometers from the finish and the Côte de Nieul at 11 kilometers from the finish. The two intermediate sprints will be in Le Blanc, just before the feed zone, and in Roussac.

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them.

Wednesday 10 March 2010 - 4th stage - Saint-Junien > Aurillac - 208 km

The start of the 4th stage will also be in a city which is known from the Tour du Limousin 2009: Saint-Junien organised the finish of the 3rd stage of this Tour in the month of August and has never before been a stage city for Paris-Nice. The start will be on the Place du Champ de Foire and the riders will than use the following route towards the départ réel at the D.21 / Route de Saint Laurent where it crosses the C.23 on the left (at 5 kilometers from the start): Avenue Victor Hugo, Boulevard de la République, Faubourg Blanqui, Avenue Pingault, Avenue Maryse Bastié, Avenue Victor Roche and the D.675.
This stage finishes in Aurillac in the Auvergne, again a city which has never before received Paris-Nice, on the Boulevard de Vialenc at a 600 meter hidden gradient straight part.

The climbs of this stage are the Côte des Cars (3rd) after 31.5 kilometers, the Côte de la Croix de Teulet (3rd) at km 50.5, the Côte de la Grande Renaudie (3rd) at km 70, the Côte de Sainte Fortunade (2nd) at 80 kilometers from the finish, the Côte de Sexcles (2nd) 36 kilometers further and finally the Côte de la Martinie (2nd) at 3 kilometers from the finish.
The intermediate sprints will be in Coussac-Bonneval and in Montvert while the feed zone will be in Le Bariolet (Perpezac-le-Noir).

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them.

Thursday 11 March 2010 - 5th stage - Maurs > Mende - 172 km

The stage on Thursday connects Maurs with the city of Mende - which will also organise a stage finish of the Tour de France 2010 - and will end with the final climb of La Croix-Neuve Montée Laurent Jalabert.

The départ fictif of this stage will be at 11.30AM on the Tour de Ville and the riders will follow the D.863, the Avenue de la Gare, the D.663 and pass through Saint Constant sur Célé towards the départ réel at the D.45 at the sign "you're leaving" Saint Constant sur Célé at 4.5 kilometers from the start. Maurs is also known as Maurs la Jolie but also, as if the visit of the Race to the sun was planned a long time ago, under the nickname La Nice du Cantal.

The intermediate sprints of this stage will be in Saint-Geniez-d'Olt and in Mende (that was the least A.S.O. could do to let them benefit of the name of stage finish!) and the feed zone will be in Saint-Côme-d'Olt.

This day, the riders will climb the Côte de Montsalvy (2nd) after 40 kilometers, the Côte de Lassouts (3rd) just after the feed zone, the Côte de la Crouzette (3rd), the Côte de Chabrits at 7.5 kilometers from the finish and the final climb of La Croix Neuve / Montée Laurent Jalabert of the first category. The finish line will be on the D.225 after a 100 meter long climbing straight road (5 meters large).

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them.

Friday 12 March 2010 - 6th stage - Pernes-les-Fontaines > Aix-en-Provence - 153,5 km

The shortest stage of this 68th edition of Paris-Nice will connect a city which has never received this race before, Pernes-les-Fontaines in the Vaucluse - at the foot of the Mont Ventoux and famous for its fountains, with the city of Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône). This city didn't receive Paris-Nice since 1964!

After the start from Pernes-les-Fontaines the riders will start with the climb of the Côte de Mormoiron (3rd) before the Col de Murs of the 2nd category 25 kilometers further and the Côte de Lacoste another 35 kilometers further, followed by the Côte de Bonnieux. At 30 kilometers from the finish they'll find the last climb: the Côte de Saint-Canadet.
The two intermediate sprints will be in the second half of the stage, in Lourmarin, where they'll also find the feed zone, and in Rognes.

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them.

Saturday 13 March 2010 - 7th stage - Peynier > Tourrettes-sur-Loup - 220 km

The forelast stage of Paris-Nice 2010, the longest of this edition of the Race to the sun, connects two cities which have never received Paris-Nice before: Peynier in the Bouches-du-Rhône and Tourrettes-sur-Loup.

It is not only the longest stage, but most probably also one of the most important ones of this Paris-Nice. Several climbs are following one another in this stage, with no less than the Côte de Val-Rose (3rd), the Côte de Barjols (3rd), the Côte des Tuillières (2nd), the Côte du Mont Méaulx (3rd), the Côte de Tignet (3rd), the Côte de Plascassier (3rd), the Côte de Châteauneuf (2nd) before the first crossing of the finish line in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. But the riders will not yet be done there: they finish the stage with a tour around Tourrettes-sur-Loup via Vence and the Col de Vence of the 1st category which makes its come-back in Paris-Nice (this climb was part of the last stage from Nice to Nice until 2002 and will thus make its come-back in 2010 after having been absent for 8 years, but this time in the forelast stage).

The riders which try to get the points needed for the green jersey of this Paris-Nice edition, can grab some more in Flayosc and in Fayence, in the intermediate sprints. The feed zone of this stage will be close to Figanières.

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them.

Sunday 14 March 2010 - 8th stage - Nice > Nice - 119 km

As usual the last stage will start and finish in Nice.
This stage follows the usual route of the past few years and thus crosses the Col de la Porte, the climb of La Turbie and the Col d'Eze. As usual the start and finish will be at the same place on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

Two intermediate sprints are planned for this stage: one in Plan du Var after 18.5 kilometers and the last intermediate sprint will be in Eze just after the climb of the Col d'Eze.

Below you can find the route and time schedules, the stage profile and the route on Google Maps for this stage. Click on the images to see them.

The Paris-Nice 2010 route in Google Earth

You've just discovered all details of the stages of this 68th Race to the sun with especially the route and time schedules (itinéraires horaires), the stage profiles and for each of the stages the route on Google Maps.

If you would like to see the full Paris-Nice 2010 route at once on a map, you can download the file below and open it with Google Earth.
> Download the Paris-Nice 2010 route in Google Earth

This file will not only allow you to see the full route in Google Earth, but also to do a virtual fly-over over the route of one or more of the stages. To do so, you can of course use the default settings of Google Earth gebruiken, but if you want to do a fly-over which really gives you the idea you were on your bike riding on the roads of the Race to the sun, I recommend you the following settings: in the menu Tools > Options choose the tab Touring and fill in the following choices on that tab:
- Camera tilt angle : 80.0 degrees
- Camera range : 150.0 meters
- Speed : 500.0 (if this makes you feel dizzy or if your computer or Internet connection don't allow you to get clear images with these settings, you can try lowering the speed)

The activities organised around Paris-Nice 2010

I think there've never been so many activities organised around Paris-Nice as in 2010, so I think it's worth mentioning the most important ones:

• Saturday 6 March 2010 - Fête du vélo - Faites du vélo in Montfort-l'Amaury
  
  The day before the start the Yvelines department, in collaboration with UFOLEP 78 and the Comité Départemental de Cyclotourisme of the FFCT, will organise a big cycling party called Fête du vélo - Faites du vélo!
  In addition to the cycling village with several stands, Trial-bike demonstrations, a quizz, etc., the bike race with 3 different distances (30, 80 or 110 kilometers) will most probably be the most appreciated part of the programme. You can register for this race on the Comité Départemental de Cyclotourisme des Yvelines web site (here to be more precise) until 3 March or directly in Montfort-l'Amaury on Saturday 6 March.
  The whole part is being supported by Bernard Hinault, five times Tour de France winner.
• Sunday 7 March 2010
  
  Around the prologue the activities continue in Montfort-l'Amaury: the whole day there will be activities in the cyling village and from 9.30AM until 10.30AM there will be a Hand-bike demonstration for people with a handicap on the prologue route.
• Monday 8 March 2010
  At 11.45AM there will be an activity for local college students.
• Tuesday 9 March 2010
  On Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines' website we can read that at the occasion of the start of the second stage the teachers of the elementary school Camescasse and of the middle school Georges Brassens of the city have thought the students a lot about the world of cycling. As real young sports journalists they will interview former riders and transform in real cycling fans to support their favourite riders on Monday morning
• Thursday 11 March 2010
  - until 8 March at midnight, Maurs organises a quiz, which is available on the site the city created specifically for the Paris-Nice 2010 stage start in Maurs and with which you can win an accreditation for access to the VIP-bus at the start of the stage and an invitation for the breakfast proposed to A.S.O. employees and the press, an invitation for the breakfast organised for A.S.O. and the press as 2nd and 3rd prize and a culinary pocket worth 12 euros as 4th till 10th prize
  - a few hours before the start, primary school pupils of Maurs will interview Bernard Hinault and Christian Prudhomme
  - in the morning, La Compagnie du P'tit Vélo will allow the city to celebrate the Paris-Nice stage start with several funny activities (walking on stilts or using a one wheeled bike) and people will receive pens, balloons and other Paris-Nice branded goodies
• Saturday 13 March 2010 - La rando cyclo des Violettes in Tourrettes-sur-Loup
  
  On Tourrettes-sur-Loup's web site we can read that the Union cycliste de Tourrettes sur Loup (UCT), in collaboration with the TFC (football club) and the 2 cycling clubs in Vence (SL Vence and CC Vence), will organise a bike race where the participants will be able to ride one or several times the final round of the stage, together with former pro riders and several local sports people.
  This final round is 48 kilometers long and the start will be at the Stade Jules Osteng via the rotonde of la Sine, the ancienne Route de Grasse, the Col de Vence with a feed zone on top, Coursegoule, the crossing of Gréolière, Bramafan, the descent of the gorges du Loup, Pont du Loup and finally back to Tourrettes sur Loup.
  People can start between 9.30AM and 12.00AM with registrations being possible from 9.00AM, for free or for 5 euros with extra's like a ticket for a prize draw, access to the VIP area for the sponsors of the rando-cyclo (Place du village close to the finish line and the podium) and something to eat there. The last riders will have to finish their tour at 2.30PM.

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Paris-Nice | Paris-Nice 2010 | OpenStreetMap/Google Maps/Google Earth

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