The queen stage of Paris-Nice faces likely disruption for the third consecutive year, with weather services forecasting snow for Auron with up to 20cm of accumulation on Saturday, when the peloton is due to tackle the summit finish at 1,600m.
Stage 7 from Nice to Auron, 138.7km with 2,580m of climbing, is designed as the race's primary GC battleground. Temperatures at resort level are forecast between -2°C and 4°C, with the snow line sitting around 1,360m to 1,600m and winds expected to strengthen through the day. At higher altitudes on the passes leading to Auron, conditions are forecast to be more severe still, with temperatures dropping to -4°C.
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Organisers ASO are monitoring the situation, though no official decision on route changes has been announced. The forecast remains volatile, as mountain weather often is, but the current outlook is severe enough to raise the prospect of significant alterations.
ASO has been here before. In 2024, the planned first-ever finish in Auron was abandoned entirely due to heavy snowfall, with the stage rerouted to La Madone d'Utelle. In 2025, the race reached Auron but only after the Col de la Colmiane and Côte du Belvédère were removed from the route, cutting the stage from 147.8km to 109.3km. ASO said at the time that "safety conditions are not met to cross the Col de la Colmiane and use the following downhill."
Any shortening or rerouting would strip away what is meant to be the race's primary GC battleground. With the general classification tightly bunched, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) leading Kévin Vauquelin (Ineos Grenadiers) by two seconds and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) sitting 17 seconds back, the loss of a full mountain stage would reduce the opportunities for GC contenders to create gaps before Sunday's final stage.
Cover image credit: A.Broadway/ASO
