62nd Paris-Nice - 2.HC

France, March 7-14, 2004

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Stage 4 - March 10: Roanne - Le Puy-en-Velay, 179 km

Images © ASO 2004

Three stages down, five to go, and the climbing begins in earnest between Roanne and Le Puy-en-Velay. The first Cat. 3 summit comes after only 14km of racing, as the Côte de la Croix du Lac provides a prelude to the continued climb to the Côte des Essarts at kilometre 27. After a steady descent and some 40km of flat terrain, the first Cat. 2 climb of the week greets the peloton.

The climb to 1,163 metres and the Col de la Croix de l'Homme Mort offers the first real mountain test before a rolling parcours takes in one final rise and a chance to regroup before the finish in Le Puy-en-Velay. Situated mid-stage, the Cat. 2 climb may not produce time gaps in the general classification, but it will provide a first indication of who is ready for the road to roll when the going gets vertical.