Paris–Nice
 |
|
| Date | March |
|---|---|
| Region | France |
| Nickname(s) |
La course au soleil (French) The Race to the Sun (English) |
| Discipline | Road |
| Type | Stage race |
| Organiser | Amaury Sport Organisation |
| Race director | Christian Prudhomme |
| First edition | 1933 |
| Editions | 74 (as of 2016) |
| First winner |
 Alphonse Schepers (BEL)
|
| Most wins |
 Sean Kelly (IRL) (7 times) |
| Most recent |
 Geraint Thomas (GBR)
|
Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlooking the city. The event is nicknamed The Race to the Sun, as it runs in the first half of March, typically starting in cold and wintry conditions in the French capital before reaching the spring sunshine on the Côte d’Azur. The hilly course in the last days of the race favours stage racers who often battle for victory. The most recent winner is Welshman Geraint Thomas.
One of the iconic races of cycling, Paris–Nice is part of the UCI World Tour as the competition's second race of the season, the first in Europe. It is organized by ASO, which also manages most other French World Tour races, most notably cycling's flagships the Tour de France and Paris–Roubaix. The roll of honour features some of cycling's greatest riders, including Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain and Alberto Contador. The most successful rider is Ireland's Sean Kelly, who claimed seven consecutive victories in the 1980s.
During the 2003 edition, Kazakh rider Andrey Kivilev died as a result of a head injury sustained in a crash. His death prompted UCI to mandate the use of helmets in all competitions of cycling, except for the last part of a race with an uphill finish. The rule was later changed to require helmets at all times.
Paris–Nice was created in 1933 by Parisian media mogul Albert Lejeune, in order to promote his Paris-based newspaper Le Petit Journal and Nice-based paper Le Petit Nice. The race linked the French capital with the fashionable seaside city of Nice on France's Mediterranean coast. It was held in March, at the end of winter, as one of the earliest French bike races on the calendar, immediately following the Six-day racing season on the track.
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