Paris – Nice: Stage 1

A windy day sees the race split into echelons only for a group of 60 to sprint it for the stage with Dylan Groenewegen getting the verdict in a photo finish

Paris – Nice: Stage 1

Dylan Groenewegen made the best of the great team work by his Jumbo-Visma team on a windy and eventful day around St Germain en Laye to take the first stage of Paris-Nice and put the yellow jersey on his back. Already winner of a stage in Vierzon a year ago, the Dutch sprint rocket was a little bit too fast for Australia’s Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), who had to settle for second place.

Pic: Getty Images

The day, animated by countless echelons, was tarnished by the absence in the finale of Australia’s Michael Matthews, forced out of the race by a crash with 50 km to go.

The start was given at 11:40 to 23 teams of seven riders 161 riders. Almost on the gun, Romain Combaud (Delko Marseille Provence) broke clear, taking former Paris-Nice stage winners Damien Gaudin (Direct Energie) and Amael Moinard (Arkea-Samsic) along with him. Their lead went past the two minute mark after 10 km and kept growing. At the top of the 3rd category Cote de Beynes (km 20.5), on which Gaudin collected 4 points, the gap reached 3:20.

After a crash involving former race winner Sergio Henao (km 35), Groupama-FDJ raised the pace and the peloton split. Among the riders caught in the echelon were Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie), Louis Meintjes (Dimension Data), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain Merida). The peloton regrouped after 47.5 km as the lead of the escapees had melted to 1:15.

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Another crash at the back of the pack involved Australia’s Michael Matthews, the Sunweb team leader and winner of three Paris-Nice stages, one of the favourites for the days’ stage, who was forced out of the race and taken to hospital. In the last 50 km, echelons and crashes took place again and the peloton was scattered in several little groups on the windswept course. Henao, Marcel Kittel (Katusha), Alexander Kristoff (UAE) and Mark Cavendish were among the riders dropped as the pack split repeatedly. The three escapees were caught with 25 km to go.

Echelons kept firming as the race tackled the second climb of the day, Cote de Beule (Km 112) which saw Damien Gaudin surge again to snatch four more points and secure the polka-dot jersey ahead of Evaldas Siskevicius (Delko-Marseille-Provence) and Warren Barguil (Arkea Samsic). With 20 km to go, the peloton was still split in three groups as two intermediate sprints and bonus points were up for grabs. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) went for the first ahead of Sky’s Michal Kwiatkowski and Egan Bernal, who led the way in the finale on the heels of Luke Rowe, celebrating his 29th birthday the hard way.

Kwiatkowski collected more bonus seconds in the second, 3 km from the finish line.

In what was left of the bunch in the long last stretch, Jumbo-Visma were probably the stronger team and after a brave but vain attempt by Philippe Gilbert with 2 km to go, they perfectly set up Groenewegen for the final sprint. Italy’s Sonny Colbrelli tried to attack from far but he was quickly overtaken. Then there was no denying Groenewegen and even Ewan’s last ditch effort was not enough to prevent the Dutchman to become the first leader of this Paris-Nice.

Dylan Groenewegen: “The team was fantastic. My teammates did a really great job by protecting me well and keeping me out of trouble all day”, The Dutchman said. “It was a short stage, but very difficult because of the wind. The lead out was good and I’m glad I was able to finish it off. It was extremely close, but I knew right away that I had won. It was a typical Dutch day: a lot of wind, lots of echelons and continuous fight for positions. We knew in advance that this could happen. It is awesome. The fact that I beat all the top sprinters and clinched the yellow jersey makes it even better. I am already looking forward to the coming sprint stages.”

Luke Rowe (birthday today): “I’ve had better birthdays! But we had some fun racing out there so I’ll take it. It was a typical day in the first half of Paris-Nice really. We were on the right end of the splits each and every time with Kwiato and Egan, our two GC guys”.

“It’s a race of two halves this year – that’s clear cut. There’s the first three days before the time trial and then after that we go into the mountains. We’ve just got to get through these first few days unscathed. If we take time, great, but the most important thing is not to lose time. So that’s one day done and a big tick in the box there. Kwiato took some bonus seconds as well. And when all the team buys into it like that and contributes where they can, it’s usually going to go pretty well. It was a great first day at Paris-Nice.”

Kwiatkowski is a crosswind specialist, just like Rowe, but the Welshman had special praise for Bernal. “A ride like that from Egan is just pure class. I was trying to explain to him this morning about how to get back into an echelon and how to ride and then he just goes and smashes it. You’ve either got it or you haven’t and he’s certainly got it. Class.”

Caleb Ewan: “Too bad! I was so close to the win. It was a sprint head-to-head. I was a bit boxed in at first, but that was not so bad, as it was headwind in the last straight line. Then I got the wheel of Groenewegen, but I just finished second. The whole race was immensely hectic because of the crosswinds. Roger Kluge and Nikolas Maes did an excellent job to keep me at the front. It is of course a pity that I did not win, but that can always happen in a bunch sprint. Tomorrow is a new chance with hopefully a better outcome for me.”

Sam Bennett “Today I didn’t ride my best race, and I was always playing catch up on this short but windy stage with all those Echelons, which did cost a lot of energy. In the finale, I didn’t have the legs, but I think it was just a bad day. I expect my legs to come around for the next stages. The boys did their best to deliver me to the finish and I hope to repay their efforts soon.” – Sam Bennett

Matteo Trentin: “I was all day stressing, keeping position, everybody was concentrating and not giving one centimetre to let anybody go somewhere so it was like a fighting day. I could make it first into that first split but that group didn’t go, it was so hard but in the end the group didn’t really commit to stay away so everything came back again and after that point we knew it would be a sprint.

“Luka was with me from the last corner to the 1.5kilometre marker and he dropped me on the wheel of Arnaud Demare (FDJ) but then it was still super chaotic. I changed my position a couple of times after that and that maybe cost me some power in the end.

“The only team who really did a proper lead-out train was Team Jumbo-Visma and they actually did a good job and I think Groenewegen deserved the victory. I was hoping for something better but there are the next days and we will go on for another opportunity.”
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RESULT
1 Dylan Groenewegen Team Jumbo – Visma 03h 17′ 35”
2 Caleb Ewan Lotto Soudal 03h 17′ 35”
3 Fabio Jakobsen Deceuninck – Quick – Step 03h 17′ 35”
4 Sam Bennett Bora – Hansgrohe 03h 17′ 35”
5 John Degenkolb Trek – Segafredo 03h 17′ 35”
6 Matteo Trentin Mitchelton – Scott 03h 17′ 35”
7 Arnaud Demare Groupama – Fdj 03h 17′ 35”
8 Sonny Colbrelli Bahrain – Merida 03h 17′ 35”
9 Bryan Coquard Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 03h 17′ 35”
10 Anthony Turgis Direct Energie 03h 17′ 35”
11 Christophe Laporte Cofidis, Solutions Credits 03h 17′ 35”
12 Oliver Naesen Ag2r La Mondiale 03h 17′ 35”
13 Sven Erik Bystrøm Uae Team Emirates 03h 17′ 35”
14 André Greipel Team Arkea – Samsic 03h 17′ 35”
15 Egan Arley Bernal Gomez Team Sky 03h 17′ 35”
16 Jean-Pierre Drucker Bora – Hansgrohe 03h 17′ 35”
17 Felix Grossschartner Bora – Hansgrohe 03h 17′ 35”
18 Luis León Sanchez Astana Pro Team 03h 17′ 35”
19 Dylan Teuns Bahrain – Merida 03h 17′ 35”
20 Rudy Molard Groupama – Fdj 03h 17′ 35”
21 Hugo Houle Astana Pro Team 03h 17′ 35”
22 Nairo Quintana Movistar Team 03h 17′ 35”
23 Lilian Calmejane Direct Energie 03h 17′ 35”
24 Tony Gallopin Ag2r La Mondiale 03h 17′ 35”
25 Evaldas Siskevicius Delko Marseille Provence 03h 17′ 35”
26 Niki Terpstra Direct Energie 03h 17′ 35”
27 Michal Kwiatkowski Team Sky 03h 17′ 35”
28 Mike Teunissen Team Jumbo – Visma 03h 17′ 35”
29 Patrick Müller Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 03h 17′ 35”
30 Jurgen Roelandts Movistar Team 03h 17′ 35”
31 Quentin Pacher Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 03h 17′ 35”
32 Florian Senechal Deceuninck – Quick – Step 03h 17′ 35”
33 Ignatas Konovalovas Groupama – Fdj 03h 17′ 35”
34 Rigoberto Uran Ef Education First 03h 17′ 35”
35 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti Astana Pro Team 03h 17′ 35”
36 Warren Barguil Team Arkea – Samsic 03h 17′ 35”
37 Wilco Kelderman Team Sunweb 03h 17′ 35”
38 Simon Philip Yates Mitchelton – Scott 03h 17′ 35”
39 Arthur Vichot Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 03h 17′ 35”
40 Kevin Reza Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 03h 17′ 35”
41 Valentin Madouas Groupama – Fdj 03h 17′ 35”
42 George Bennett Team Jumbo – Visma 03h 17′ 35”
43 Nikolas Maes Lotto Soudal 03h 17′ 35”
44 Bob Jungels Deceuninck – Quick – Step 03h 17′ 35”
45 Romain Bardet Ag2r La Mondiale 03h 17′ 35”
46 Ilnur Zakarin Team Katusha Alpecin 03h 17′ 35”
47 Philippe Gilbert Deceuninck – Quick – Step 03h 17′ 35”
48 Imanol Erviti Movistar Team 03h 17′ 35”
49 Edward Theuns Trek – Segafredo 03h 17′ 35”
50 Tao Geoghegan Hart Team Sky 03h 17′ 35”
51 Maxime Monfort Lotto Soudal 03h 17′ 35”
52 Tom Scully Ef Education First 03h 17′ 35”
53 Mitchell Docker Ef Education First 03h 17′ 35”
54 Fabio Sabatini Deceuninck – Quick – Step 03h 17′ 35”
55 Luka Mezgec Mitchelton – Scott 03h 17′ 35”
56 Maarten Wynants Team Jumbo – Visma 03h 17′ 35”
57 Jhonatan Manuel Narvaez Prado Team Sky 03h 17′ 35”
58 Luke Rowe Team Sky 03h 17′ 35”
59 Alex Kirsch Trek – Segafredo 03h 17′ 35”
60 Amund Grøndahl Jansen Team Jumbo – Visma 03h 17′ 35”
61 Ivan Garcia Cortina Bahrain – Merida 03h 17′ 51”
62 Koen De Kort Trek – Segafredo 03h 17′ 59”
63 Ramon Sinkeldam Groupama – Fdj 03h 18′ 01”
64 Magnus Cort Nielsen Astana Pro Team 03h 18′ 35”
65 Alessandro De Marchi Ccc Team 03h 18′ 35”
66 Julien Bernard Trek – Segafredo 03h 18′ 35”
67 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Dimension Data 03h 18′ 35”
68 Jesper Hansen Cofidis, Solutions Credits 03h 18′ 35”
69 Francisco Jose Ventoso Alberdi Ccc Team 03h 18′ 35”
70 Stijn Vandenbergh Ag2r La Mondiale 03h 18′ 35”
71 Amaro Antunes Ccc Team 03h 18′ 35”
72 Patrick Konrad Bora – Hansgrohe 03h 18′ 35”
73 Winner Andrew Anacona Movistar Team 03h 18′ 35”
74 Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio Mitchelton – Scott 03h 18′ 35”
75 Michael Schwarzmann Bora – Hansgrohe 03h 18′ 35”
76 Jarlinson Pantano Gomez Trek – Segafredo 03h 18′ 35”
77 Mikel Nieve Iturralde Mitchelton – Scott 03h 18′ 35”
78 Daniel Felipe Martinez Poveda Ef Education First 03h 18′ 35”
79 Ramunas Navardauskas Delko Marseille Provence 03h 18′ 35”
80 Marc Soler Movistar Team 03h 18′ 35”
81 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno Astana Pro Team 03h 18′ 35”
82 Bert-Jan Lindeman Team Jumbo – Visma 03h 18′ 35”
83 G Lawson Craddock Ef Education First 03h 18′ 35”
84 Jack Haig Mitchelton – Scott 03h 17′ 35”
85 Damien Gaudin Direct Energie 03h 19′ 08”
86 Diego Ulissi Uae Team Emirates 03h 20′ 17”
87 Nils Politt Team Katusha Alpecin 03h 20′ 17”
88 Christoph Pfingsten Bora – Hansgrohe 03h 20′ 17”
89 Mauro Finetto Delko Marseille Provence 03h 20′ 17”
90 Giulio Ciccone Trek – Segafredo 03h 20′ 17”
91 Louis Meintjes Team Dimension Data 03h 20′ 17”
92 Lars Bak Ytting Team Dimension Data 03h 20′ 17”
93 Adam James Hansen Lotto Soudal 03h 20′ 17”
94 Pawel Poljanski Bora – Hansgrohe 03h 20′ 17”
95 Geoffrey Soupe Cofidis, Solutions Credits 03h 20′ 17”
96 Bernhard Eisel Team Dimension Data 03h 20′ 17”
97 Marcel Kittel Team Katusha Alpecin 03h 20′ 17”
98 Reto Hollenstein Team Katusha Alpecin 03h 20′ 17”
99 Louis Vervaeke Team Sunweb 03h 20′ 17”
100 Mikael Cherel Ag2r La Mondiale 03h 20′ 17”
101 Romain Combaud Delko Marseille Provence 03h 20′ 17”
102 Jack Bauer Mitchelton – Scott 03h 20′ 17”
103 Maxime Bouet Team Arkea – Samsic 03h 20′ 17”
104 Julien El Fares Delko Marseille Provence 03h 20′ 17”
105 Benoit Cosnefroy Ag2r La Mondiale 03h 20′ 17”
106 Mathias Frank Ag2r La Mondiale 03h 20′ 17”
107 Jens Debusschere Team Katusha Alpecin 03h 20′ 17”
108 Marco Haller Team Katusha Alpecin 03h 20′ 17”
109 Bert Van Lerberghe Cofidis, Solutions Credits 03h 20′ 17”
110 Mathias Le Turnier Cofidis, Solutions Credits 03h 20′ 17”
111 Tim Declercq Deceuninck – Quick – Step 03h 20′ 17”
112 Domenico Pozzovivo Bahrain – Merida 03h 20′ 17”
113 Laurens De Vreese Astana Pro Team 03h 20′ 17”
114 Kristijan Koren Bahrain – Merida 03h 20′ 17”
115 Simon Špilak Team Katusha Alpecin 03h 20′ 17”
116 Victor De La Parte Ccc Team 03h 20′ 17”
117 Sebastian Henao Gomez Team Sky 03h 20′ 17”
118 Pierre Luc Perichon Cofidis, Solutions Credits 03h 20′ 17”
119 Laurent Pichon Team Arkea – Samsic 03h 20′ 17”
120 Olivier Le Gac Groupama – Fdj 03h 20′ 17”
121 Bram Welten Team Arkea – Samsic 03h 20′ 17”
122 Cyril Gautier Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 03h 20′ 17”
123 Adrien Petit Direct Energie 03h 20′ 17”
124 Rafael Valls Ferri Movistar Team 03h 20′ 17”
125 Amael Moinard Team Arkea – Samsic 03h 20′ 17”
126 Fabio Aru Uae Team Emirates 03h 20′ 17”
127 Alexander Kristoff Uae Team Emirates 03h 20′ 17”
128 Ion Izaguirre Insausti Astana Pro Team 03h 20′ 17”
129 Iljo Keisse Deceuninck – Quick – Step 03h 20′ 17”
130 Tejay Van Garderen Ef Education First 03h 20′ 17”
131 Pascal Eenkhoorn Team Jumbo – Visma 03h 20′ 17”
132 Scott Davies Team Dimension Data 03h 20′ 17”
133 Niccolò Bonifazio Direct Energie 03h 20′ 17”
134 Jacopo Guarnieri Groupama – Fdj 03h 20′ 17”
135 Kris Boeckmans Vital Concept – B&B Hotels 03h 20′ 17”
136 Laurens Ten Dam Ccc Team 03h 20′ 17”
137 Marco Marcato Uae Team Emirates 03h 22′ 05”
138 Rory Sutherland Uae Team Emirates 03h 22′ 05”
139 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya Uae Team Emirates 03h 22′ 05”
140 Nicolas Edet Cofidis, Solutions Credits 03h 22′ 05”
141 William Barta Ccc Team 03h 22′ 05”
142 Jakub Mareczko Ccc Team 03h 22′ 05”
143 Hector Carretero Movistar Team 03h 22′ 05”
144 Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo Team Sky 03h 22′ 05”
145 Heinrich Haussler Bahrain – Merida 03h 22′ 05”
146 Elie Gesbert Team Arkea – Samsic 03h 22′ 05”
147 Thomas De Gendt Lotto Soudal 03h 22′ 05”
148 Casper Phillip Pedersen Team Sunweb 03h 22′ 05”
149 Eduard-Michael Grosu Delko Marseille Provence 03h 22′ 05”
150 Jonathan Hivert Direct Energie 03h 22′ 05”
151 Roy Curvers Team Sunweb 03h 25′ 11”
152 Julien Vermote Team Dimension Data 03h 26′ 24”
153 Domen Novak Bahrain – Merida 03h 26′ 24”
154 Mark Cavendish Team Dimension Data 03h 26′ 24”
155 Roger Kluge Lotto Soudal 03h 26′ 24”
156 Daniel Mclay Ef Education First 03h 26′ 24”
157 Alessandro Fedeli Delko Marseille Provence 03h 26′ 24”
158 Jan Bakelants Team Sunweb 03H 30′ 34”

Overall
1 Dylan Groenewegen Team Jumbo – Visma –
2 Caleb Ewan Lotto Soudal + 00h 00′ 04”
3 Luis León Sanchez Astana Pro Team + 00h 00′ 05”
4 Michal Kwiatkowski Team Sky + 00h 00′ 05”
5 Fabio Jakobsen Deceuninck – Quick – Step + 00h 00′ 06”
6 Egan Arley Bernal Gomez Team Sky + 00h 00′ 09”
7 Rudy Molard Groupama – Fdj + 00h 00′ 09”
8 Sam Bennett Bora – Hansgrohe + 00h 00′ 10”
9 John Degenkolb Trek – Segafredo + 00h 00′ 10”
10 Matteo Trentin Mitchelton – Scott + 00H 00′ 10”