Paris-Nice is shaping up to be one of the most challenging stage races on the 2025 calendar. Across eight days of racing, the challenging parcours and an elite start list will make for a demanding battle, often used by Grand Tour hopefuls to test their form and tune up for the season. The 83rd Race to the Sun features a route designed to challenge every type of rider. Starting in the Yvelines on the south-west edge of Paris, the race will traverse 1,206 kilometres, with three stages for the fast men, three summit finishes, and a pivotal team time trial.
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe heads into the race with a strong lineup, aiming for top results in both the GC and sprints, with Florian Lipowitz and Aleksandr Vlasov leading the charge for the overall and Danny van Poppel the team’s key card to play in the fast finishes.
The race opens with two relatively flat stages to suit the sprinters, provided crosswinds don’t shake things up, especially on the exposed Beauce plains of Stage 2. “These stages will help the team and riders get into the rhythm," explains Sports Director Patxi Vila.
Following from that, the GC battle is set to heat up on Stage 3, featuring a rolling 28.4km team time trial to Nevers. A key feature of the stage is the Côte de la Pisserotte towards the finish, where riders will need to carefully manage their effort. Teams will likely look to the strategic use of riders on the approach to the finish, the climb itself and the downhill run-in to the line. “Strong teamwork will be key to positioning Aleksandr and Florian well for the GC battle,” continues Vila. “Although there is still significant climbing to come on the following days, this stage could have a central role to play in the GC battle.”
Midweek, the race reaches its first summit finish on Stage 4 at La Loge des Gardes, a 7km climb averaging 6.5 per cent. "It’s quite a long climb, and the first proper climbing test for the general classification test," says Vila. “With over 3000m of elevation, it promises a selective stage finish.”
He likens the following day’s finish to an Ardennes classics finale. “Stage five presents a different challenge with a short, steep finish, more reminiscent of the Ardennes than a traditional mountain stage. The last two kilometres feature a very steep kicker, which will change the type of winner compared to Stage four." With seven short punchy categorised climbs, and a final climb which ramps up to 18 percent in its steepest section, a selection could also be made here.
Following two intense GC days, Stage 6 should bring the sprinters back into contention. "It’ll be a long stage finishing most likely with a sprint,” according to Vila. “If the wind stays calm, a bunch finish is likely, and van Poppel will be ready to contest it.”
As the race progresses into the final weekend, the Alpes-Maritimes mountains set the stage for the resumption of the GC battle, with the final two stages featuring steep climbs and no doubt also fierce competition. "Both of these stages around Nice will be for the GC guys, likely one-on-one fights between the contenders," explains Vila. The penultimate stage serves up 3,700m of elevation, finishing at the ski resort village of Auron. Last year’s penultimate stage was set to finish there, but snowfall forced the rerouting of the course to the Madone d’Utelle, where Aleksandr Vlasov soloed to victory.
The race will then reach its conclusion with an almost 120km loop around Nice, culminating with the classic finale used in recent years - the Col des Quatre Chemins - a tough 3.6km long climb averaging almost 9 percent, with sections kicking up to 16 percent.
With this demanding parcours in mind, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe is hoping for a strong GC showing with Florian Lipowitz and Aleksandr Vlasov. This will be Lipowitz’ first major race of the season, while Vlasov takes to the start after competing at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. "Both riders are heading to the race with ambition and a focus on achieving a good result overall. With riders like Vingegaard, Skjelmose, and Almeida, among others, in the field, however, the competition will be fierce,” Vila acknowledges. “Nevertheless, we’re up for the challenge of taking out a strong GC result and, hopefully, also a strong showing Danny van Poppel. So the goal will be a top-five finish in the GC and a stage victory. We’ll fight to be the protagonists of the race. Paris-Nice is never an easy one, but our team is ready to take on the challenge.”
Photo: Getty Sport