Alberto Contador wins Algarve's final stage(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A smiling Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lampre-Merida's Louis Meintjes rides to sign on(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Yates adjusts his best young rider jersey(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Geraint Thomas wins back-to-back Volta ao Algarve's(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrew Talansky (Cannondale Pro Cycling)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marcel Kittel on the stage 4 podium at Algarve.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michael Matthews is aiming for the rainbow jersey in Richmond and the green jersey at the Tour de France in years to come(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2016 edition of Paris-Nice features a packed field of riders with expertise across the board, ensuring that each stage is a close fought affair with deserving winners. The 'race to the sun' is the second WorldTour event of the season, and first in Europe, with a list of former winners that includes the likes of former Tour de France champions Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain, while Sean Kelly holds the all-time record with seven victories.
Recent winners Alberto Contador and Richie Porte, with two wins each to their name, spearhead the GC challengers for 2016 while Astana's Luis Leon Sanchez is the third former winner on the start line. Romain Bardet, Tom Dumoulin and Simon Yates represent the new generation of GC riders while Lampre-Merida's Louis Meintjes is another rider capable of finishing on the podium.
It's not just about the GC men though, with Marcel Kittel, Nacer Bouhanni, Alexander Kristoff and Michael Matthews sure to mix it up in the sprint stages.
Adding to the depth of the field in 2016 are several classics riders in Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra (Etixx-QuickStep), Lars Boom (Astana) with several of the top WorldTour riders opting for the French race over Tirreno-Adriatico this season.
The 74th edition of Paris-Nice starts March 6 with a prologue in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, concluding March 13 with a 141km stage starting and finishing in Nice.
Watch the video below to find out who Cyclingnews selected as the 10 riders to watch at Paris-Nice in 2016.
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