The 2020 Paris-Nice will follow a format familiar in recent years. The race will be exposed to the wind in the early stages, followed by a time trial on stage 4, a summit finish on the final day, and a finale in the hills behind Nice.

The route for the 78th edition of the so-called "Race to the Sun" was announced Wednesday morning outside Paris and described by Thibault Pinot as "an open competition that gives more than one idea."

The early stages in northern France, where bad weather is common, are fraught with pitfalls, but the key to the overall title lies in the second half of the race. The summit finish of stage 7, La Colmiane (1500m elevation, 6.3% average gradient, 16.3km long), will be the most important uphill test of the race this year.

It played the same role in the 2018 Paris-Nice stage won by Simon Yates, and Tour de France contenders will pay particular attention to this year's second stage of the Grand Boucle, as the Nice-based hilly stage will feature this climb.

The mid-race time trial will take place in Julien Alaphilippe's backyard of Saint-Amand-Montrond, a relatively short time trial at 15.1 km, but the winding, technical course will be a tough test. It begins with a short climb and descent, followed by an uphill climb to the halfway point and a flat descent for the final 3 km.

The Col d'Eze time trial will be the last in 2015, and organizers will stick with the finale, which has provided drama in recent years with the delicately balanced Mt. Nakayama stage starting and finishing in Nice. Last year, Egan Bernal won with a comfortable margin of victory, while Marc Soler took the leader's jersey from Simon Yates at the end in 2018.

Whereas the last two times there were six mountains on the final day, in 2020 there will be only four. First the Col de la Porte (13.1 km, 4.7%), then the Côte de Berre les Alpes (3.9 km, 6.1%), the Côte de Châteauneuf (6.5 km, 6.6%), and finally the Côte d'Aspremont (3.9 km, 3.7%). The final climb ends 18 km before the finish and the descent continues until the finish in Nice.

The opening stage of the 2020 Paris-Nice race is not on the Côte d'Azur, but a 154-km stage that starts and finishes in Plaisir, located southwest of Paris. The terrain is undulating, and the last 5km of cobblestone climbs (1.4km, 7.8%) will be decisive.

The second stage (166.5 km between Chevreuse and Charette-sur-Rowan) and the third stage (212.5 km between Charette-sur-Rowan and La Chatre) are on paper opportunities for a group sprint, but there is the threat of crosswinds that have disrupted the race for years. Egan Bernal showed his all-around ability last year with a solid ride in the echelon, but with crosswinds playing a major role in the 2019 Tour de France, the GC riders will be ready for an important test.

Between the time trial on stage 4 and the hilly final two stages, there are two tough, undulating stages that will tempt the breakaway specialists. Stage 5 is a 227-km stretch of rolling roads from Gana to Le Côte-Saint-André. With only two climbs, a group sprint is expected, but it will be a tiring sprint and a test of endurance. Stage 6 features six second or third class mountains on the 160km route from Sorgue to Apt, where a breakaway is expected

The 22 teams competing in the 2020 Paris-Nice were announced on Tuesday. All 19 WorldTour teams have earned automatic berths, with the addition of Total Direct Energie, which took the top spot in the second division in 2019. Wild cards were awarded to Arkea Samsic and Nippo Delco One Provence.