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Monday, March 9, 2026

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2025 Tour de France | 2025 Giro d'Italia

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Current racing:

• March 8 - March 15: Paris-Nice
• March 9 - 15: Tirreno-Adriatico

Upcoming racing:

• March 18: Danilith Nokere Koerse
• March 18: Milano-Torino
• March 19: GP de Denain
• March 20: Bredene Koksijde Classic
• March 21: Milano-Sanremo

Latest completed racing:

• March 7: Strade Bianche
• March 4: Trofeo Laigueglia
• March 3: Le Samyn Classic
• February 25 - March 1: Giro di Sardegna
• March 1: Faun Drome Classic
• March 1: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
• February 28: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
• February 28: Faun Ardèche Classic
• February 22: Tour des Alpes Maritimes

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Paris-Nice stage one reports

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner Luke Lamperti's Team EF Education-EasyPost:

Luke Lamperti stormed to a phenomenal sprint victory on stage 1 of Paris-Nice.

The American charged off of teammate Marijn van den Berg’s wheel with 200 meters to go and barreled down the barriers all the way to the line, where he punched the air to celebrate the biggest win of his career and his first in EF Education-EasyPost pink.

“It’s super special,” Luke said after hugging his teammates. “The team rode full all day. We really committed and it paid off. We’ve been knocking on the door, but to actually get the job done is super special. It’s my first win with the team and a nice way to start.”

Luke Lamperti will start stage two in yellow rather than pink. Getty photo

EF Education-EasyPost took up the reins right from the start of the 170.9-kilometer stage from Achères to Carrières-sous-Poissy, on the banks of the River Seine in north-central France. Max Walker took off in a six-man breakaway and drove it into the wind, keeping the pace high over the final climb and into the last kilometers. As Max’s group was brought back, Kasper Asgreen and Alastair MacKellar took over, leading the team to the front of the surging, chaotic bunch. Marijn van den Berg led into the final turn after the red kite marking one kilometer to go and then launched a huge leadout all the way to the 200-meter mark.

“It was a long sprint,” Marijn said. “I am really happy that Luke finished it. It was really hectic. We just tried to stay together because a lot of crashes can happen in those situations. We did that really well and then the positioning was done before the corner. I think I went a bit too early, but luckily I had legs to keep going.”

Luke was very impressed by his teammate’s work. They have been practicing leadouts together.

“Marijn van den Berg was the last guy,” Luke said. “We started quite early. He went from far, but luckily he was super strong. He did maybe 350 meters himself to deliver me to the last 200. In the end, I just had to do the final few meters on my own.”

With seven days left in the Race to the Sun, Luke and his teammates will take great encouragement from this win. Paris-Nice is France’s most prestigious spring stage race and most of the best classics riders in the peloton are there, building their form. Luke showed that he is one of them.

“I know I've been going well and to actually get a win and get the momentum rolling, especially as a sprinter, is really important,” Luke said. “For me, it's the biggest one I've had in my career. It’s great for the rest of the season and for the classics. I already feel quite at home at the new team. I've enjoyed it a lot. To have the yellow jersey tomorrow will be super special. It’s my first WorldTour win and my first time wearing a WorldTour yellow jersey, so a lot of firsts this week.”

It’s Luke’s first win in EF Education-EasyPost pink, too, and Paris-Nice is just getting started. Congratulations, Luke and the whole Paris-Nice squad!

Here's the Paris-Nice stage one report from second place Vito Braet's Team Lotto-Intermarché:

Vito Braet came within inches of victory in the opening stage of Paris–Nice, sprinting to a superb second place after a strong team performance that also saw Sébastien Grignard animate the race from the early breakaway.

The first stage of Paris–Nice immediately delivered an exciting race, with the day’s breakaway shaping the course of the stage. Sébastien Grignard represented Intermarché–Lotto in the move of the day, spending the entire stage at the front of the race. Grignard and his fellow escapees built up a solid advantage and were able to hold out until deep into the finale, creating a hectic run-in as the peloton prepared for a sprint on the slightly uphill finishing kilometer.

“The final was quite hectic because the breakaway managed to stay ahead until quite far in the final and because of the last 10 km that went uphill,” Braet reflected on the stage. “Thanks to Luca (Van Boven) I managed to survive the climb. I knew that after the descent the last left corner would be crucial.”

Vito Braet takes second in Paris-Nice stage one.

After the breakaway was caught, Braet was perfectly positioned for the sprint. Launching from far back, he produced an impressive acceleration, rapidly closing the gap on the riders ahead. Despite his late attack, he narrowly missed out on catching Luke Lamperti (EF Education EasyPost) and crossed the line in a strong second place.

“I managed to ride my sprint the way I wanted but I only came a bit too late to catch up with Lamperti,” Braet said. “Of course I am a little disappointed. I really felt that winning was possible today. But my personal feeling is really good and the team did an incredible job.”

With Grignard’s relentless effort in the breakaway and Braet’s near victory in the sprint, the Intermarché-Lotto team starts Paris–Nice on a high note, with confidence and energy for the stages ahead.

Here’s the Paris-Nice report from Jonas Vingegaard’s Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Axel Zingle finished ninth in the opening stage of Paris–Nice. The 27-year-old Frenchman was well positioned for the sprint but got boxed in. Team leader Jonas Vingegaard encountered no problems in his season debut.

The 84th edition of Paris–Nice started in Achères. On the opening day, the riders faced a 170-kilometer stage with a hilly finale. At the start, much of the attention was on Jonas Vingegaard, who was making his season debut. The 29-year-old Dane will be supported this week by Edoardo Affini, Bruno Armirail, Victor Campenaerts, Wilco Kelderman, Davide Piganzoli, and Zingle. 

On the start line, Kévin Vauquelin & Jonas Vingegaard. ASO photo

A breakaway of six riders went clear early in the race, but they were never given much room. The group’s lead never exceeded two minutes. In the second part of the stage, several short climbs followed one another in quick succession. Led by Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the six early escapees were caught just before the final kilometer. A bunch sprint would decide who would take the first yellow jersey. 

Zingle was in a good position to launch his sprint but got boxed in at a crucial moment. The Frenchman ultimately had to settle for ninth place. “I was perfectly positioned, but I missed the momentum to launch,” Zingle said afterward. “Looking back, I waited a little too long, which meant I was overruled by riders coming from behind. It’s a pity, because there was a huge opportunity here for me and the team.” 

Sports director Marc Reef also reflected on the stage: “We can be satisfied that everyone reached the finish safely. It was a hectic stage. At times it was difficult to stay together as a team. Jonas was very well supported throughout the day by Edoardo and Victor. In the final kilometers, we took responsibility ourselves to close the gap to the breakaway. We had a chance to go for the win with Axel while also making sure Jonas stayed safely near the front. It’s unfortunate that Axel couldn’t do the sprint we had in mind.”

And here's the Paris-Nice report from Casper Pedersen's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Casper Pedersen became the first Dane in three years to don the best climber’s jersey in Paris-Nice after an incredibly strong display in the breakaway. On Sunday, Casper made his fourth appearance at the renowned “Race to the Sun” and attacked as soon as the flag was dropped, establishing a breakaway alongside five other riders on this stage that began from Achères, a town lying about 25 kilometers from the capital.

The day's break in 2026 Paris-Nice stage one.

Although their gap over the peloton never exceeded more a minute and a half at any point during the race, the sextet worked well together, which allowed them to fight for all four classified climbs on the course. Pedersen won the first three ascents of the day – including the steep Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes – which made him virtual leader of the KOM classification, and continued to tap out a strong rhythm in the lead group.

The escapees made it over the last climb just 30 seconds ahead of the chasers, but they kept believing in their chances, and Casper was one of the group’s engines, bravely fighting on and taking long pulls without looking back and surviving at the front until 1600 meters to go.

“On a stage like this there’s always a lot of tension in the peloton, so this can sometimes benefit the breakaway. Once we were at the front, everybody there knew we had a chance and we went for it. The group was strong and experienced, and we also had a plan, which we executed flawlessly, of ramping up the speed in the final 55 kilometers, and giving our best. Unfortunately, the bunch had an extra gear in the finale and brought us back not far from the line.”

“I’m not a climber, but I’m happy to wear the polka dot jersey. It’s an iconic jersey of a prestigious race, and it will bring a lot of pride to have it on my shoulders on Monday”, Casper said after the podium ceremony in Carrières-sous-Poissy.

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