GC guys shake things up in thrilling finale, but it's Merlier who dominates chaotic sprint in Paris-Nice opener

Tim Merlier kicked off Paris-Nice with a commanding sprint victory in stage 1, overcoming a tough course where GC contenders did their best to shake up the sprinters. In the end, a bunch sprint was unavoidable, and the Soudal Quick-Step rider powered to the win with ease. Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) finished second, ahead of Alberto Dainese (Tudor), but there was no stopping Merlier, who also takes the leader’s jersey.

As always, Paris-Nice boasts a stacked start list. Alongside top sprinters Tim Merlier and Mads Pedersen, the GC battle features names like Mattias Skjelmose, João Almeida, and Alexandr Vlasov. Much of the focus, however, is on Visma | Lease a Bike, who bring defending champion Matteo Jorgenson and Jonas Vingegaard to the race. While their main goal is to take the overall win, they opted to stay quiet on day one, with the sprinters expected to fight for the win.

The peloton rolled out from Le Perray-en-Yvelines for a loop through the forests west of Paris, with the same location serving as both the start and finish. While the route included some short, sharp climbs, only three riders attempted a breakaway: Samuel Fernández (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Alexandre Delettre (TotalEnergies), and breakaway specialist Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty). A small group like that stood little chance against motivated sprint teams.

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Early break reeled in, Alaphilippe attacks and opens finale

The sprinters' teams had no interest in letting the break gain too much ground. They never allowed more than three minutes, keeping things under control. By the 60-kilometer mark, the gap was down to 30 seconds. Fernández tried to accelerate, bringing Delettre with him, but Van der Hoorn called it a day. Ten kilometers later, the last two escapees were caught, setting up a tense final 50 kilometers with a full peloton and two tricky climbs still to come.

As the Côte de Villiers-Saint-Frédéric approached, Visma | Lease a Bike set a fierce tempo, but it was Tudor that made the first real move. Julian Alaphilippe attacked in the closing meters of the climb, setting off fireworks! Jorgenson responded instantly, cresting the climb first, but the move didn’t cause serious damage — aside from dropping a few sprinters, including Alexander Kristoff.

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GC riders fight for bonus seconds

With ten kilometers to go, an intermediate sprint on a cobbled incline sparked another battle. Santiago Buitrago attacked and went all-in for bonus seconds, but an American trio — consisting of Neilson Powless, Brandon McNulty, and Matteo Jorgenson — latched onto his wheel. In the end, it was Jhonatan Narváez who surged from behind to take the sprint, followed by Jorgenson and Magnus Sheffield. Some riders tried to keep the momentum going, but it fizzled out.

The final kilometers were chaotic, with sprinters' teams struggling to organize themselves. Josh Tarling, Matteo Trentin, and Mattias Skjelmose managed to open a small gap, but Skjelmose refused to pull, protecting teammate Mads Pedersen. With only two riders working, they were reeled in quickly, setting up the inevitable sprint. And in that sprint, Merlier left no doubt, crushing the competition and taking first place in the rankings with authority.

Results stage 1 Paris-Nice 2025

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