The 83rd edition of Paris-Nice, the first important stage race of the year on European soil, will have a logical favorite: Jonas Vingegaard. The Visma Lease a Bike Danish rider, third in 2023 behind Tadej Pogačar and David Gaudu, will try to win the Race to the Sun for the first time but will have no room for errors given the presence of rivals like Brandon McNulty, Joao Almeida, Santiago Buitrago, Aleksandr Vlasov, Ben O'Connor, Felix Gall, Romain Bardet and Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet. Among the sprinters, the battle will likely be between two men in form at the start of the season, Mads Pedersen and Tim Merlier.

Indeed, the plan is well-conceived, as this is how Jonas Vingegaard likes to work. His goal of returning to win the Tour de France passes through a first victory in Portugal and now the Paris-Nice, where he will be accompanied by the defending champion, Matteo Jorgenson.

The first decisive moment should be the team time trial in Nevers (stage 3), where riders like Brandon McNulty, who briefly wore the yellow-white jersey and finished third in the general classification last year, Aleksandr Vlasov, second in 2021 and winner in 2024 at Madone d'Utelle, but also Max Schachmann, two-time winner of the Race to the Sun and recently fifth in Algarve, will have the opportunity to make their mark.

The list of protagonists could be confirmed and enriched the next day, as the climb to Loge des Gardes, which Vingegaard failed to dominate two years ago, will certainly be suitable for climbers like Santiago Buitrago, winner of the Vuelta Valenciana just over two weeks ago, just ahead of Joãao Almeida, who will be in contention in the French department of Allier (stage 4). The terrain will also lend itself to a sensational attack by a rider like Julian Alaphilippe, who will race his debut event in France for his new team and will also have his eyes on the finish line at La Côte Saint-André (stage 5).

The weekend program will be characterized by higher peaks with the arrival in Auron (stage 7), undoubtedly favorable for a demonstration by Vingegaard if he manages to drop other mountain aces like the second-place finisher of the 2024 Vuelta Ben O'Connor, the Dutch Thymen Arensman, whose mission will be to bring Ineos Grenadiers back to the success they enjoyed in the 2010s, the French Romain Bardet in his last appearance in the event and Lenny Martinez in his first. The native of Cannes could also find himself competing for the white jersey with the Spanish Ivan Romeo, also born in the summer of 2003 and fourth in the UAE Tour last week.

Sprinters will also have their chances throughout the week, especially near Bellegarde (stage 2) and then at Berre l'Étang (stage 6). Mads Pedersen, accustomed to French roads at the start of the season and winner of the Tour de la Provence this year, will be on familiar ground but will have to fight hard with European champion Tim Merlier, who has already raised his arms four times in the Middle East. Both will need to keep an eye on other sprint contenders like Arnaud Démare, Alexander Kristoff, Alberto Dainese and Soren Waerenskjold, whose turn of speed impressed at the Étoile de Bessèges.

22 TEAMS, HERE ARE THE MOST ANTICIPATED MEN

Team Jayco AlUla: O'Connor, Matthews (Aus)
Bahrain Victorious: Buitrago (Col), Haig (Aus), Martinez (Fra)
Soudal Quick-Step: Merlier, Van Wilder (Bel), Schachmann (Ger)
Intermarché-Wanty: Page, Petit (Fra), Zimmermann (Ger)
Alpecin-Deceuninck: Del Grosso (Ned)
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team: Gall (Aut), Bisseger (Swi), A.Paret-Peintre (Fra)
Cofidis: Perez (Fra)
Groupama-FDJ: Martin-Guyonnet, Cavagna (Fra), Küng (Swi)
TotalEnergies: Burgaudeau, Turgis (Fra), Cras (Bel)
Arkea-B&B Hotels: Démare, Costiou, Sénéchal (Fra)
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe: Adria (Spa), Welsford (Aus), Vlasov
XDS Astana Team: Tejada (Col), Champoussin (Fra)
Team Visma Lease a Bike: Vingegaard (Den), Jorgenson (Usa), Zingle (Fra)
Team Jumbo-Visma: Bardet, Barguil (Fra), Degenkolb (Ger), Jakobsen (Ned)
Uno-X Mobility: Kristoff, Kulset, Waerenskjold (Nor)
Team Movistar: Romeo (Spa), Rubio (Col)
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA: Barceló, Leitão (Spa)
Tudor Pro Cycling Team: Alaphilippe (Fra), Brennero (Ger), Trentin, Dainese (Ita)
UAE Team Emirates XRG: Almeida (Por), McNulty (Usa), Sivakov (Fra)
Ineos Grenadiers: Arensman (Ned), Sheffield (Usa), Tarling (Gbr)
EF Education-Easypost: Asgreen (Den), Powless (Usa)
Lidl-Trek: Skjelmose, Pedersen (Den), Bernard (Fra)