Fayence
191 km
Saturday 14 March
Manosque, which we will cross the day before, welcomes the start of the 7th stage.
After a fast ride along the Gorges du Verdon, the riders will face the first difficulties of the day.
They will leave the Alpes-de-haute-Provence to enter the Var for a classical sequence of tough climbs, especially the Taradeau and Tullieres hills and the Col de Bourigaille, 30 kilometres before the finish in Fayence, where Paris-Nice had never stopped before.
On this special stage, the overall classification might be put upside-down.
© Ville de Manosque
Situated twenty or so kilometres from the Cadarache Nuclear Research Centre, the site of the ITER project, Jean Giono’s homeland merges economic development and the art of good living. Between mountain and sea, the town is based at the meeting point of two natural parks: the Lubéron and the Verdon. Situated on a headland overlooking the Durance, olive groves, vineyards and orchards flourish. It is a land of tradition with a superbly treasured cultural heritage and architectural patrimony: monuments, churches, squares are major tourist attractions whilst more recent constructions: a public hospital, village hall and international school reflect Manosque’s considerable economic and industrial growth. Edouard Fachleitner, second in the 1947 Tour de France, and Richard Podesta, amateur champion of France in 1971, were both Manosque by adoption. Manosque boasts 7 700 sports licence holders for 22 000 inhabitants, and is delighted to once again host, for the eleventh time, Paris-Nice.
© Ville de Fayence
The Pays de Fayence, a group of eight magnificent perched villages, lies a few minutes away from the Mediterranean coastline and one hour from the first of the Winter sports resorts. Perched on a hilltop, the centre of the town, with its narrow winding alleyways, boasts shops, art galleries and gourmet restaurants. Fayence possesses a magnificent architectural inheritance: the Romanesque Notre-Dame des Cyprès chapel, the Tour de l’horloge (clock tower) and the Porte Sarrazine, which dates from the 14th century. With its cultural centre and open-air theatre, Fayence also enjoys an exceptionally fine cultural landscape. Sport is favoured: a summer swimming pool, tennis courts, gymnasiums, and municipal sports grounds are available for use by the town’s associations and clubs. The Fayence-Tourrettes international Gliding Club enjoys a world-wide reputation. It is the largest gliding club in Europe in terms of flying hours. Fayence is a nice place to live…
