Paris - Nice 2008: Mont Ventoux on the menu

19.02.2008/ Running from Sunday March 9^th to 16^th 2008, the 66^th Paris-Nice will be made up of 1 prologue and 7 stages and will cover a total distance of 1,230 kilometres. The exiting route include the legendary Mont Ventoux and climbs like the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret. Twenty teams with eight riders each will start at 'the race to the sun'.

The race to the sun has become throughout the years a real institution of World cycling. For 75 years now, it serves as a key moment for cycling fans who can start considering what the season will look like.

The course of the 2008 edition, unveiled this morning by the organisers offers a first innovation with the start of a 4.6kilometres long prologue in Amilly in the heart of the faithful Montargis and Loing banks area. The layout will then follow the highway to southern France with visits of cities that have marked the history of the event like Nevers, Saint-Etienne or Sisteron. Other than the historical touch, a dense and difficult program has been planned for the first big meeting of the cycling year. The climb up to the resort of Mont Serein that is situated on the ‘unexplored’ race side of the Mont Ventoux could prove to be decisive on the way to overall victory. Unless the hierarchy is decided after the climb up the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret, shortly before the finish at Saint-Etienne… Will the leaders of the race have the capacity to maintain the suspense all the way to the twisty roads that go up to the Col du Tanneron or the Col d’Eze during the final weekend? Only time will tell…the race is on!

The race organisers invited 20 teams to participate in the race: Gerolsteiner (GST), High Road (THR), Team Milram (MRM), Quickstep (QST), Silence - Lotto (SIL), Team CSC (CSC), Caisse d’Epargne (GCE), Euskatel - Euskadi (EUS), Saunier Duval - Scott (SDV), Slipstream Chipotle (TSL), Bouygues Telecom (BTL), Credit Agricole (C.A), Cofidis crédit par téléphone (COF), Française Des Jeux (FDJ), AG2R - La Mondiale (ALM), Agritubel (AGR), Lampre (LAM), Liquigas (LIQ), Rabobank (RAB) and Skil-Shimano (SKS).

Defending champ Alberto Contador will not be able to denfend his title as his team was not invited by the race organisers (ASO).

The 2008 Paris - Nice route

Sunday 9th of March

Prologue: Amilly – Amilly (4.6 km)

Monday 10th of March

Stage 1: Amilly – Nevers (184.5 km)

Tuesday 11th of March

Stage 2: Nevers – Belleville (201 km)

Wednesday 12th of March

Stage 3: Fleurie – Saint-Etienne (164.5 km)

Thursday 13th of March

Stage 4: Montélimar – Station du Mont Serein / Mont Ventoux (176 km)

Friday 14th of March

Stage 5: Althen-des-Paluds – Sisteron (172.5 km)

Saturday 15th of March

Stage 6: Sisteron – Cannes (203.5 km)

Sunday 16th of March

Stage 7: Nice – Nice (122.5 km)

Total kilometres: 1230 km

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