Paris-Nice

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Paris-Nice
Race details
Date March
Region France
Nickname(s) The race to the sun
Discipline Road race
Competition UCI ProTour
Type Stage race
Organiser ASO
Race director Christian Prudhomme
History
First edition 1933
Editions 64 (as of 2007)
First winner Flag of Belgium Alfons Schepers
Most wins Flag of Republic of Ireland Seán Kelly (7 times)
Most recent Flag of Spain Alberto Contador

Paris-Nice, nicknamed "the race to the sun", is an annual early season professional cycling stage race held each March. The 2007 race is the focus of a dispute between the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). ASO have requested that the 2007 edition be downgraded from Pro Tour status to NE (national calendar status), therefore lacking UCI world-ranking points. If this occurs, Pro Tour teams are forbidden from taking part.[1]

The first Paris-Nice was held in 1933 when the winner was Alfons Schepers from Belgium. The most successful cyclist in Paris-Nice was Seán Kelly from Ireland. He won seven consecutive times (1982-1988).

Although the name is Paris-Nice, the race does not always start in Paris any more. It often starts in towns near or south of Paris. The last stage finishes every year on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The last or penultimate stage often passes the Col d'Eze, a mountain pass close to Nice.

The most recent edition (in 2007) was won by Alberto Contador from Spain. The 2006 one was won by American Floyd Landis, and the 2005 edition was won by Bobby Julich, also from the United States. The 2004 edition was won by Jörg Jaksche from Germany. In 2002 and 2003 Paris-Nice was won by Alexandre Vinokourov from Kazakhstan. During the latter race, Vinokourov's friend and countryman Andrei Kivilev died due to head injury sustained in an accident. His death prompted the UCI to mandate the use of helmets in all competition, except for the last part of a race with an uphill finish. Subsequently, the rule was changed to require helmets at all times.

Paris-Nice is organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). ASO also organizes other cycling races like the famous Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix and other sport events like Paris-Dakar and the Paris Marathon.

[edit] Winners

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ "UCI instructs all ProTour teams to not race Paris-Nice", cyclingnews.com, 22 February, 2007

[edit] External links

UCI ProTour
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2005 | 2006 | 2007

Paris-Nice | Tirreno-Adriatico | Milan-Sanremo | Ronde van Vlaanderen | Vuelta al País Vasco | Gent-Wevelgem | Paris-Roubaix | Amstel Gold Race | La Flèche Wallonne | Liège-Bastogne-Liège | Tour de Romandie | Giro d'Italia | Volta a Catalunya | Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré | Tour de Suisse | Eindhoven TTT | Tour de France | Clásica de San Sebastián | Deutschland Tour | Vattenfall Cyclassics | Eneco Tour of Benelux | Vuelta a España | GP Ouest-France | Tour de Pologne | Züri-Metzgete | Paris-Tours | Giro di Lombardia
Paris-Nice
v • d • e

2005 | 2006 | 2007
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