Inside the Race to the Sun: life behind the scenes at Paris-Nice

From the outskirts of the French capital Paris to the glitz, glamour and Pastis-filled glasses of the Cote d’Azur, the peloton head southeast through the country and tackle a variety of terrain and challenges along the way. Let’s also not forget the weather too, as the Race to the Sun as it is known, often lives up to quite the opposite of its name.

But how does a WorldTour team navigate a week-long stage race in a constantly moving environment? We wanted to take you behind the scenes with our staff group from the race to show you a bit more of what happens on the road, and what role everyone plays to keep things moving together.

The brains behind the race

Long before the riders roll to the start each morning, the planning for the day is already underway. At Paris–Nice, lead coach Matt Winston works alongside fellow coach Melvin Rulliere to steer the race. “We’re here with two coaches,” Winston explains. “I’m responsible for the race as a whole and for the sporting side, making sure everything runs smoothly.” That means working closely with the riders to develop daily tactics and race plans, but also acting as a key contact person within the team. “We’re also personal coaches for certain riders. That doesn’t mean we train them directly, but we’re their daily contact within the team and help plan their race programmes.”

Alongside that sporting focus, Melvin manages the operational side of the race: the detailed day plans that structure life in the team. “He makes the schedules: when we leave, when we arrive, where staff members need to be,” Winston says. “He also looks at the course, the feed zones, the bottle points, and even how we leave the finish area.” At many races, the coaching structure can also include a third coach or a member of the management team who helps coordinate the staff group and keep the overall operation running smoothly alongside the sporting side.

Preparation for a race like Paris–Nice begins well before the first stage. “We have meetings about logistics, about the sporting plan, and also individual talks with riders to prepare them for the key points in each stage,” Winston explains. Even with all that planning, surprises are never far away. “The weather can always play a role,” he says. “The first few days were sunny, but now [Wednesday] it’s starting to change.”

When conditions turn cold or wet, the team activates its cold-weather protocol. “That means warm bidons and extra clothing for the riders. When the weather changes, the peloton can become hectic because everyone suddenly wants jackets and dry clothes from the team cars at the same time.”

Keeping the riders going

While the race plan is being finalised, the soigneurs are already busy preparing everything the riders will need throughout the day. At Paris–Nice, Stéphane Perrot coordinates the team’s three soigneurs. “There is always one responsible soigneur for the group,” he explains. “Here in Paris–Nice, that’s me.”

Together with the coaches, he divides the tasks between the soigneurs. Their responsibilities cover a wide range of jobs: preparing in-race nutrition, organising the team’s food box at the hotel, preparing bottles, cleaning vehicles and providing post-stage massages.

“We prepare the rice cakes for the race, the bars and gels that go into the cars, and all the bottles the riders will use during the stage,” Perrot says. Organisation is key. “Everyone has their own tasks, but if someone finishes early, they help the others.”

During the race itself, the soigneurs are also the ones out on the road. They stand along the course at designated feed zones to hand out bottles and musettes filled with food to the riders as the peloton passes by. After the stage, they are waiting at the finish line to receive the riders with recovery drinks.

For Perrot, the beauty of the job lies in its constant variation. “The work itself is always similar,” he says. “But the location, the hotels, the weather and the group make every race different.”

The machines behind the performance

Meanwhile, the mechanics are focused on preparing the bikes that carry the riders through the race. For lead mechanic Maarten ter Heijden, the work begins even before the team arrives. “We start by packing everything,” he explains. “The bikes, helmets, rain bags, spare equipment, tools: everything based on the line-up for the race.”

Once the team reaches Paris–Nice, preparation continues immediately. “When we arrived on Saturday, the riders went out for a training ride that afternoon,” he says. “So we prepare the bikes for that first.”

Before each stage starts, every detail is checked at the start area. “Tyre pressure, batteries, power meters, everything gets a final check.”

During the race, mechanics sit in the team cars following the peloton. “We fix mechanical problems like punctures or help after crashes,” Ter Heijden says. “But we’re also assisting the coach. You’re an extra pair of eyes and ears in the car.”

After the stage, the work continues back at the hotel. Bikes are cleaned, feedback from riders regarding their bikes is implemented, and preparations for the next stage begin. “Structure is really important,” he says. “You need a clear plan to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Fuel for the riders

While bikes and tactics are essential, so is nutrition. Team cook Jelte Kranendonk is responsible for preparing and weighing all the meals for the riders during the race. “I take care of the meals in the restaurant and the recovery meals that go in the bus,” he explains.

Menus are designed by the team’s nutritionists, but Kranendonk ensures they can be executed within the realities of a travelling race. “We check the transfer times between hotels and contact the hotels about the ingredients we need.”

His day starts early. “Usually I prepare breakfast first: eggs, rice pudding, whatever is on the menu.” Then comes packing the cook truck before the team moves to the next hotel. “That’s a bit like playing Tetris,” he laughs.

Once at the new hotel, the kitchen setup starts again before preparing recovery food and dinner. Every portion is carefully weighed. “Each rider receives different quantities depending on their needs.”

Despite occasional logistical challenges, like missing ingredients, traffic or unexpected detours, Kranendonk enjoys the unique environment of racing. “It’s the love for cycling and the love for cooking. That combination makes it perfect.”

Telling the story

While the riders race on the road, another part of the team works to share the story of the race with the outside world. Press officer Florian de Driesen manages the interaction between the team and the media. “At the race I’m responsible for everything related to external media,” he explains.

All interview requests go through him, and he coordinates conversations between riders and journalists. “I also look at what we as a team might want to communicate ourselves, whether that’s interviews, quotes for race reports or content for our own channels.”

At the start area, he meets journalists in the mixed zone before the riders arrive for team presentation. Then he travels to the finish line to manage interviews and content once the stage is over. “An interview might only take two minutes,” he says, “but there’s quite a bit of preparation behind it.”

One team, one goal

From strategy and logistics to nutrition, recovery and communication, every member of the staff group plays a role in the team’s performance.

For Winston, that collective effort is what makes life in professional cycling so special. “What I enjoy most is working together as a team,” he says. “Everyone contributes in their own way to the final outcome.”

Because while the riders may be the ones in the regular spotlight, a race like Paris–Nice shows that it takes a whole team behind the team to keep things operating and functioning in the same direction.