Etixx – Quick-Step looking to do something special in Paris-Nice with Michal Kwiatkowski and former winner Tony Martin (2011)
![]() |
Team News – Etixx – Quick-Step to Paris-Nice
Etixx – Quick-Step has revealed the riders who will take on Paris-Nice, which takes place from Sunday, March 8th until Sunday, March 15th. Paris-Nice opens with a 6.7km prologue in Maurepas, and is followed two relatively flat stages. Stage 3, 179km in distance, features three Category 3 ascents with some small up and downs including a short uphill finish.
Stage 4, from Varennes-sur-Allier to a summit finish on Croix de Chaubouret, will likely be a crucial one for riders with GC aspirations. The 204km stage includes eight categorized climbs, and six of those climbs bunched together in the final kilometers. The finale is of the first category, at 10km and 6.7% average gradient.
Stage 5 opens with an immediate Category 1 climb, but the 192km stage from Saint-Etienne to Rasteau features only a few lower category climbs before a short uphill finish. The penultimate stage, 181.5km Stage 6 from Vence to Nice, will again be a stage for the climbers. The peloton faces six climbs of second or first category, though the final kilometers features plenty of descending, including technical sections. There is also a small uphill just before a descent to the finish.
Finally, Paris-Nice features a mountain ITT in its remaining 9.6km Stage. This is a potentially decisive time trial from Nice to Col d’Eze and the parcours features a 4.7% average gradient.
World Champion after something special
“After Algarve I trained very well,” UCI World Road Champion Michal Kwiatkowski said “I worked on intensive training, harder than before. After Argentina and Algarve, plus this block of training, I feel good and ready to face the first UCI WorldTour race of the year”.
“To be honest, I am pretty excited because I can’t wait to enter into this hard, but exciting period, which starts with this beautiful race and ends with the Ardennes Classics. As a rider, it is something you want to be part of, so I am happy to be here. This is also important because I never raced Paris-Nice before, so it is another step as a young rider to discover a part of the pro cycling world.”
“I checked out the parcours. I saw there is a prologue and also there are some mountain finishes during the week. Then there is a difficult weekend with the ITT on the Col d’Eze We will see. I’ll take it day-by-day. But the goal is to go there and try to do something well at this race. I’ll be surrounded by a great team and can count on experienced guys like Tom Boonen, who is a road captain at this race he rode several times”.
“Tony Martin, like me, can also be a protagonist in this race, especially as a three-time UCI World TT Champion with a prologue and an ITT. He won Paris-Nice already once in 2011 and showed he is capable. I think we will have a nice, hard week at the office. We are all happy to be here and ready for the ‘Race to the Sun’.”
“The team is well structured and balanced with the hope to do well in this first UCI WorldTour race in Europe,” Sport Director Wilfried Peeters said. “We have a group of riders here ready to race. For example, Tom Boonen who is good for the sprints and we have Nikolas Maes at this race to help in those kinds of situations. Tony and Michal arrive here with ambitions to do well in the GC and see how far they can go in terms of contending the overall.”
“For Tony, it’s no secret he loves this race and it is one of his objectives to see how competitive he can be in the climbs and the one-week races. Concerning Kwiato, this is the first time he raced Paris-Nice. He will be our leader together with Tony, and even for him it will be a test of his condition for the one-week races.They will be supported by Julian Alaphilippe, Stijn Vandenbergh, Maxime, Bouet, and Michal Golas in this up-and-down parcours. We have a strong team that can be present in the actions of all the different stages and we are looking forward to this one-week race in France.”
08.03–15.03 Paris – Nice (FRA) 2.UWT
Riders
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Tom Boonen (BEL)
Maxime Bouet (FRA)
Michal Golas (POL)
Michal Kwiatkowski (POL)
Nikolas Maes (BEL)
Tony Martin (GER)
Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL)
Sports Director Wilfried Peeters (BEL)
Jan Schaffrath (GER)
Website www.letour.fr
Stages
08.03.15 Prologue Maurepas – Maurepas 6.7 km
09.03.15 Stage 1 Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse – Contres 192.0 km
10.03.15 Stage 2 Zoo Parc de Bauval – Saint-Amand-Montrond 172.0 km
11.03.15 Stage 3 Saint-Amand-Montrond – Saint-Pourcain-Sur-Sioule 179.0 km
12.03.15 Stage 4 Varennes-sur-Allier – Croix de Chaubouret 204.0 km
13.03.15 Stage 5 Saint-Etienne – Rasteau 192.0 km
14.03.15 Stage 6 Vence – Nice 181.5 km
15.03.15 Stage 7 Nice – Col d’Eze
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Result: Oulton Park (Youth)
- Result: Oulton Park (Seniors)
- Result: Castle Combe Summer Series 2
- Result: CDPP Sport Crit Series 4
- Result: Full Gas Spring Cup Series 3
- Result: Lea Valley Woman’s RR
- Result: Border City Whs 18m TT
- Result: Writtle University College Men’s RR
- Result: Santini Bovingdon Bomber Summer Series
- Result: VC Norwich 25m TT
- Result: Southern Counties CU 10m TT
- Result: Cliff Pratt Deca Community Crits
- Result: Mid Shropshire Wheelers 50m TT
- Result: Reading CC 50m TT
- Result: Bath CC 25m TT
- Result: Kent League Cyclopark Circuit Races
- Result: trainSharp Road Race
- Results: Halesowen A&CC Road Races
- Result: Aughton Road Races
- Result: Blackburn & District CTC 2up TTT
- Result: Zeus CRT 10m TT
- Result: Torvelo Racing Braes GP
- Result: Virtual CC 25m TT
- Result: Tri-Logic 10m TT
- Result: Lincolnshire Criterium Racing League
- Result: Goodwood Summer Series 3
- Result: Birdwell Wheelers 10m TT
- Result: Melton Olympic 25m TT
- Result: Totnes Vire Stage Race
- Result: Medway Velo Club 10m TT
- Result: Holt Racing Pembrey Crits 5
- Result: Crystal Palace Crits 3
- Result: Tameside Tuesday Night Races
- Result: Lotus Cars Race League 2
- Result: Spatzwear Rayner Foundation Series Racing
- Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits 7
- Result: Brooks Cycles Track League
- Result: Salt Ayre Circuit Races
- Result: Severn Valley Circuit Races
- Result: Tyne & Wear FRS CC M12S TT
Other News on VeloUK
- Sunday: Proper Northern Road Race Series 2
- This weekend: 48th Totnes Vire Two Day
- 2022 British Road Championships Venues
- TOUR SERIES: Round 3 (Sunderland) (Men)
- Startlist: Tour Series Round 1 Guisborough
- 2022 Tour Series Rider Squads Revealed
- News: Simon Yates to Vuelta a Asturias
- Events: Shrewsbury Sports Village
- News: 2022 Women’s CiCLE Classic Saved!
- Startlists: 2022 Rapha Lincoln GP
- Startlist: Oakenclough RR
- News: ŠKODA DSI Cycling Academy
- News: UCI Track Nations Cup Day 1
- News: The Pedal Club April Lunch
- Startlists: BUCS 10m TT Championship
- News: Entries open for Handicap League
- News: Tour Series 2022
- CiCLE Classic StartList 2022
- News:2022 CiCLE Classic Returns this weekend
- News: Crowd Funding for Women’s CiCLE Classic
- News: Special Santini Collection for Roubaix
- News: Teams for the Women’s Tour Revealed
- News: Sponsors Needed for Womens/Junior CiCLE Classic
- 2022 Tour of Britain Route Revealed
- Entries needed: Hell of the North Runway
- News: GB for Nations Cup
- News: Road Champs head to Scotland
- News: Tour Series to Race Stranraer
- News: Tour Series heading for Clacton on Sea
- News: Tour Series/Tour of Britain
- News: 16th CiCLE Classic
- Feature: Moda Bikes Vivo Review
- News: Women’s Tour Finishes in Oxfordshire
- Startlist: RCR FatCreations Road Race
- Mini Preview: Ontur round of the Copa Espana
- Startlists: The Peaks 2 Day
- News: Edinburgh Road Club Youth Team
- News: Sigma Sports-Cannondale Race Team
- British Elite Development Teams for 2022
- News: Teenager Fred Meredith smashes British record