Paris - Nice 2016: Favourites

Underneath prognosis was written before the start of Paris-Nice 2016

The 2016 edition of Paris-Nice is tailor made for climbers. Last year, the race featured both a prologue and a closing time trial, this time the only chance for the chrono specialists is in the prologue at day one. In essence, the mountains of stage 5 and stage 6 are most suited to attack and make a difference. Especially stage 6 offers chances as the closing climb is 15.3 kilometres at 5.7%.

Strong descenders should be eyeing up stage 7, as the 141 kilometres route features six climbs before a 15 kilometres drop marks the end of Paris-Nice 2016. Tony Gallopin was in a class of his own when he plunged down this finale in 2015 to take both the stage win and the leader’s jersey (which he lost in the time trial on the next day).

Title defender Richie Porte and Alberto Contador are both two-time overall winners of Paris-Nice.

Favourites Paris-Nice 2016:

*** Alberto Contador, Richie Porte
** Romain Bardet, Tony Gallopin, Rui Costa, Geraint Thomas
* Simon Spilak, Wilco Kelderman, Andrew Talansky, Tom Dumoulin