The French cycling season opens on the Côte d’Azur. For decades, pros have travelled to the south of France to test their winter legs in the racing peloton. The Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille is no easy roll. The 168-km course winds into the rugged Provençal heartland before cutting back out to the coast, where it ducks into calanques and climbs to cliffside headlands. Strong winds often blow in off the sea. The race’s traditional sprint finish takes place down near the port of Marseille.