Paris-Nice organisers have confirmed that Saturday's stage 7, the race's planned queen stage, will be shortened and its summit finish at the Auron ski resort removed because of forecast snowfall in the Alpes-Maritimes.
The stage will now finish in Isola after 120.3km, at the location where an intermediate sprint had originally been scheduled. The decision strips the penultimate day of racing of its high-altitude finale and the bulk of its climbing.
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Organisers said the latest weather forecasts made "an arrival in the Auron resort inconceivable, with the rain-snow line estimated to be around 1,100 metres altitude." The original finish at Auron sits at approximately 1,600 metres, well above that threshold.
The modification was made "to ensure riders' safety" and in agreement with the city of Nice, the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture, and the municipalities of Auron and Isola. The UCI commissaires' panel, the teams' association (AIGCP) and the riders' union (CPA) were also consulted.
Organisers added that conditions did not allow the finish to be moved to another mountain top, leaving Isola as the only viable alternative.
What remains are the Côte Carros and Bouyon early in the stage, followed by a long approach through the Var valley on what route descriptions characterise as a false-flat uphill toward Isola. The stage distance drops from approximately 138.7km to 120.3km.
The change transforms the penultimate day from an Alpine test into a shorter, flatter stage that offers far fewer opportunities for climbers to open gaps before the final stage in Nice.
This is the third year in a row that the Paris-Nice route has been altered because of late-winter Alpine weather. In 2024, heavy snowfall also forced a last-minute reroute of the penultimate stage, with organisers redirecting the race to the Madone d'Utelle instead of Auron. The Queen stage was also shortened in 2025 on account of weather.
Stage 7 will now finish in Isola on Saturday, with the race concluding as planned in Nice on Sunday. Jonas Vingegaard holds an advantage of 3:22 in the overall standings and is heavily expected to win the overall race on Sunday.
Cover image credit: Billy Ceusters
