Tom Boonen flexes his muscles (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Richie Porte heads for the overall win 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) falls in the time trial in 2009(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Damiano Cunego goes on the attack(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
2008 race winner Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Robert Gesink leads the race in 2008 but he couldn't hang on(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) shows off his descending skills(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Samuel Sanchez in full time trial mode for Euskaltel(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador climbs in Paris-Nice in 2007 for Discovery Channel(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Steven de Jongh and Tom Boonen(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
David Millar in yellow after his time trial win in 2007(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Former Discovery rider Tom Danielson in 2007(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
David Millar returns to racing and wins in Paris-Nice(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen as defending world champion(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Floyd Landis (Phonak) won the race in 2006(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Carlos Sastre and Dave Zabriskie(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Floyd Landis watches over his rivals in 2006(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) wins a stage in 2009(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
. Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d’Epargne) rips the race apart in 2009(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sylvain Chavanel pins his humber to his jersey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Sky's Richie Porte climbs towards the yellow jersey in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andreas Kloden in full time trial mode(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Nicolas Roche (Saxo Bank) during the final time trial in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
BMC's Tejay van Garderen(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sylvain Chavanel's last stage win in Paris-Nice came in 2013(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) defends yellow last year(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) rides to victory in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sisteron and Luis Leon Sanchez takes a stage win in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Thomas Dekker (Garmin-Sharp) returns to the WorldTour in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sylvain Chavanel has a rub down on the QuickStep team bus(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andreas Kloden moved into yellow after stage 5 in 2011(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tomas Vaitkus (Astana) shows off his skill(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
2010 and Moinard wins the final stage but Contador claims the overall(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The late Xavier Tondo wins Tourrettes-sur-Loup in 2010(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan won two stages in 2010(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexandre Vinkourov (T-Mobile)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Wilfried Peters raises a toast after Tom Boonen wins a stage in 2005(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Former Giro d'Italia winner Pavel Tonkov(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Joseba Beloki time trials for ONCE(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
David Millar sports Oakley glasses that wrapped over a ride's head(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Greg LeMond presents the Mercury team(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Richard Virenque attacks in Polti colours.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Holland had to wait 20 years for a winner. Michael Boogerd came along in 1999(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rolf Sorenson (Rabobank) shows off his climbing legs in 1999(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Richard Virenque makes his post-Festina comeback with Polti(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lance Armstrong ride Paris-Nice in 1999(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frank Vandenbroucke on the podium in Paris-Nice in 1999(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Boardman is flanked by Stuart O'Grady and Frank Vandenbroucke(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frank Vandenbroucke was unbeatable in 1998(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frank Vandenbroucke watches back during the 1998 race (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Danilo Hondo in his T-Mobile days. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Nico Mattan(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michele Bartoli uses Paris-Nice to prepare for the Classics in 1999(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jacky Durand (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Erik Dekker takes in the snowy conditions in 2004(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cadel Evans on the attack for Mapei(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Laurent Jalabert (CSC) during his final season as a pro rider(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alex Zulle (Team Coast) on the attack in 2004(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cadel Evans turned pro with Mapei and is still riding in the peloton(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dario Frigo is a former winner of Paris-Nice(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Didier Roux defends yellow in 2002(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Richard Virenque riding for Domo in 2002(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frank Vandenbroucke and his Fassa Bortolo team(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team manager Patrick Lefevere (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tyler Hamilton talks to the press at Paris-Nice(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Former Cofidis pro Matt White in his riding days(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Richard Virenque after a fall in Paris-Nice(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alez Zulle on the attack for Phonak in his final season as pro rider(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A young Philippe Gilbert (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jorge Jascke (CSC)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Cofidis riders pay their respects to Andrei Kivilev(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 72nd edition of Paris-Nice starts on Sunday with a stage from Mantes to la-Jolie and while the pre-race talk has been centred around Team Sky’s change in line-up the race could still be one of the most exciting stages races of the season to date.
Race organisers ASO have turned the typical format for race on its head, discarding the typical summit finishes and time trials, instead choosing to orchestrate a route that could provide a race that goes right to the wire.
The new look route will see the likes of Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Sylvain Chavanel (IAM Cycling) go head to head and in this exclusive gallery we look through nearly two decades of the race with images from Tim De Waele’s extensive photo gallery.
