Paris - Nice Cycle Race 2012

The Paris - Nice cycle race is one of the most historical cycling events in the professional cycling racing calendar. The inaugural event took place in 1933 and has been running for 75 years.

Originally billed as 'The race to the sun' it has also been known as the Paris - Cote d'Azur race in it's long history.

The arduous race takes place early in the season and gives fans and team selectors an opportunity to study the form of the best professional cyclist in the world.

The race constitutes 1 prologue and 7 stages and is contested by 17 teams of 8 riders representing 8 different countries and multiple nationalities.

The entire race distance is over 1230 kilometres and begins in Paris on the 9th of March. There are stages held in towns such as Nevers, St. Etienne, Sisteron, Fleuri and Cannes, to name just a few, before a gruelling stage held in the areas surrounding Nice that take in some of the steepest mountain climbs of the entire event.

The Nice stage is 119 kilometres long in total. The longest climb takes place over 5ikilometres up to Col de la Porte at 1068 metres. A 7.2% gradient and a category 1 classification. The riders drop mercifully back down to the lower reaches of La Trinité at 90 metres before further sadistic climbs to La Turbie, 485 metres and Eze at 510 metres.

The race climaxes with a maddening sprint down treacherous roads to the flat and picturesque Promenade des Anglais on Nice's sea front where only the most courageous of the descent have a hope of expending their very last vestiges of energy in a dash for the line and victory.