As it happened: late catch sees stage one Paris Nice end in a bunch sprint
All the action from the opening day, a 171km hilly run to Carrieres-sous-Poissy
Bonjour and welcome to stage one of the 2026 Paris-Nice!
After the thrills and spills of yesterday's Strade Bianche, it’s time for another of the early season staples: Paris-Nice. Since 1933 this race has heralded a transition towards the springtime, and continues that tradition once more this year.
Despite the name of the race, proceedings are not kicking off in Paris exactly, but rather Achères, about 25km to the north-west of the capital. From there they will travel in a north-westernly direction, before looping back via a series of punchy hills for a finish at Carrières-sous-Poissy.
The star name on the startlist is Jonas Vingegaard. With an exceptional record in stage races and strong team built around him, he’ll be seen as the man to beat, although his form is unknown having had to delay the start of his season, and he’s never before managed to win the yellow jersey at Paris-Nice.
The riders are in the neutralised zone, and will be racing for real in about a quarter of an hour.
The yellow jersey, that Vingegaard and his opponents will spend the next week fighting for.
Here’s the peloton in the neutralised zone.
The weather today might be cloudier than forecasted, but there’s no sign of any rain or, crucially, strong winds.
The first half of the stage is much flatter than the second, so there are no obvious springboards for the kind of puncheurs we’d expect to compete for the stage win to get into the day’s break.
There are early attacks, with about ten riders having a go.
Terrible news for Jayco-AlUla's Kelland O'Brien. He must have had some kind of problem, as he has abandoned the race already after just a few kilometres.
The attackers who went clear have been brought back, and the peloton remains together.
The riders in the neutralised zone, just before the flag dropped.
Multiple attacks are being made, but nothing is sticking just yet. At the moment three riders lead the race by a small margin, with others trying to join them.
Six riders have formed a group, and are in a promising position - they’ve grown a lead of 45 seconds from themselves back to the peloton.
These are the 6 riders in the lead group:
Sébastien Grignard (Lotto Intermarché)
Grignard, Pedersen and Max Walker (all pictured here) were the first to initiate the move, before being joined by the other three.
NSN have taken control of the bunch, and are keeping the six leaders on a tight leash for now. They are presumably controlling things for their sprinter Biniam Girmay, who is one of the fastmen who could survive the day’s punchy climbs.
The six riders at the head of the race.
With two riders in the break, and Kelland O'Brien already abandoned, there are just four Jayco-AlUla riders left in the peloton at the moment.
Picnic-PostNL are assisting Jayco-AlUla at the front of the peloton. That would suggest they fancy their chances of ensuring a bunch sprint finish today, with their man Casper van Uden.
150KM TO GO
Picnic-PostNL andJayco-AlUla’s work at the front of the peloton is keeping this break well under control, at just over a minute.
Here's the breakaway up the road...
...and the peloton chasing behind
The peloton really isn’t hanging about. Here are the riders all strung out in a long line, and the work being done has brought the gap to the break down to within one minute.
One of the riders in the break, Max Walker, has had a puncture.
It looks like Walker is going to rejoin the break before long.
Another view of the day's break, which remains out front for now.
So how can we expect this stage to unfold? While there are a number of punchy hills in the finale to aid attackers, with the last crested just 10km from the finish, there is still a chance that the race comes down to a bunch sprint.
The presence of NSN and PicnicPost-NL at the front of the peloton certainly suggests that they believe they can control the race for a bunch sprint.
For NSN, Biniam Girmay has been in terrific sprinting form this season, winning bunch sprints at Volta Comunitat Valenciana and the Clasica de Almeria. If there’s a worry, it’s that he wasn’t climbing at his best during Opening Weekend, and therefore might struggle on today’s uphills, but normally this is the kind of terrain he thrives in.
For PicnicPost-NL, Casper van Uden is arguably the purest fast sprinter here at Paris-Nice, with a Grand Tour sprint stage win to his name at the Giro d’Italia from last year. He’s had a slow start to the season, however, and failed to get in the mix for the sprints at the UAE Tour.
Although Cofidis have not joined NSN or PicnicPost-NL setting the pace in the peloton, they have two contenders for the stage win in Milan Fretin and Bryan Cocquard (pictured below, at the start earlier today). The former was sprinting well at Ruta del Sol, where he won a stage, while the latter’s ability to navigate the climbs was on display at his victory at GP La Marseillaise.
Another pure fast finisher in the bunch is Phil Bauhaus. At his best he’d be difficult to beat in this field, but hasn’t finished higher than fifth yet this season, and is the kind of rider who would struggle in the hills.
With four climbs in the final 70km, including two ascents of the 1.1km, 8.3% Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes, a bunch spring is far from guaranteed. While perhaps not hard to draw the GC contenders into attacks, there must be some explosive puncheurs who sense an opportunity to go clear and chase the stage win.
Laurence Pithie is the kind of rider we can look out for to try such a move. Though a quick sprinter, he’s unlikely to challenge in a big bench sprint, but has the explosiveness to potentially go clear on the hills, and was on promising form during Opening Weekend.
There's been a crash in the peloton, with Toms Skujiņš going down and needing a new bike. Along with teammate Mathias Vacek, he's another rider who could potentially attack on the climbs, though that fall makes such a move less likely.
Iván Romeo used an uphill attack as the foundation for his overall victory at the Ruta del Sol earlier this year, suggesting he has the legs to try something - but that result also makes it less likely he'll be given any leeway to do so.
Here's Jonas Vingegaard in the peloton. He's making his season debut, and is seeking to defend Visma-Lease a Bike's title here in the absence of last year's winner Matteo Jorgenson.
João Almeida was down to ride Paris-Nice, but withdrew days before, meaning Brandon McNulty has a rare opportunity to lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG. He has good form at this race, finishing third in 2024, and given the record of his team in stage races, must be considered among the top favourites for overall victory.
There's been another crash in the peloton, this time with multiple riders involved.
Biniam Girmay in the peloton. The work of his NSN team setting the pace at the front has highlighted him as a top favourite for the stage win today.
The season is really hotting up now - yesterday was Strade Bianche, today sees the start of Paris-Nice, and tomorrow the other great early season stage race gets going - Tirreno-Adriatico. Have a read of our rundown of which riders you should be keeping an eye on there.
Not long now until the riders take on the first of the day’s four climbs. The Côte de Gargenville is the gentlest of the four, averaging only 4.7%, but is also the longest at 2.3km, and will begin the wearing down process.
There's no one team in control of the peloton at the moment, with lots of different coloured jerseys massing towards the front.
The break have started climbing the Côte de Gargenville, 1:15 ahead of the peloton.
The peloton are also climbing, with NSN and Picnic-PostNL resuming control.
The rankings at the top of the climb:
The next climb of the day, Côte de Vaux-sur-Seine, is not for another 12km.
The peloton is again spread all across the road, and the pace is notably up as the fight for position picks up.
The tension is palpable - the riders will have to be careful not to crash.
Mechanical for Marc Soler, who had to change bikes. He might have more freedom to ride for himself later in the race, since his expected team leader João Almeida is not riding.
Uno- Mobility are prominent at the front of the bunch, perhaps working for Rasmus Tiller, a fast finisher who is also capable of a punchy attack.
50KM TO GO
We're climbing again, this time up the 6.8% slopes of the 1.3km Côte de Vaux-sur-Seine. The peloton is just over one minute behind the leaders.
Mathis Le Berre has attacked out of the break. It looked like he was struggling to hold on, but was in fact giving himself space to wind up an attack and take the others by surprise.
Pedersen has followed Le Berre and the pair are clear from the rest.
Walker took the final point on offer at the top of the climb; and, having taken what they attacked for, Pedersen and Le Berre have been brought back by the rest of the break.
Here are the updated KOM rankings. Pedersen is looking good to be in the climber's jersey on the podium later this afternoon at this rate.
The riders are crossing the finish line for the first time, ahead of two laps of the finishing circuit, each featuring an ascent of the Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes.
The Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes is the steepest of the day, averaging 8.3% for 1.1km, and could be the moment where the stage is won or lost. Can any attackers go clear? Will the sprinter teams manage to control the race? And which sprinters will be dropped out of contention on the climb?
The break are on the climb now, the Jayco pair riding at the front.
There's not a huge amount of urgency in the peloton as they begin the climb.
Affini is dropped from the peloton, having done his job of looking after teammate Vingegaard on the flat.
Pedersen sprints for the KOM points in the break...
The GC teams have taken control at the front of the peloton as they crest the climb, specifically Visma and Lidl. The pace is steady and controlled rather than fast, though.
The break still has a lead of 1:25, therefore. They haven't lost of hope of surviving to the finish just yet.
Now things are getting serious in the peloton. NSN have taken over at the front again and upped the pace.
Here's what the KOM rankings look like now, with one more ascent of the Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes left:
Carlos Rodríguez has had to stop briefly with a flat.
Mechanical for Pascal Ackermann, who has had to stop and change bikes. He is one of the riders who’d fancy his chances in a bunch sprint finish, though two of his Jayco teammates are up the road in the break.
The breakaway hears the bell as they cross the finish line for the final lap. The race is on!
New teams are taking part in the peloton's chase now, notably Cofidis who have sprinters Fretin and Coquard in their line-up.
The break’s lead is still hovering at around one minute, with just 15km left to ride.
If the break can succeed in holding off the peloton, which of the 6 riders should we expect to take the stage win?
Jayco have the numerical advantage with both Gamper and Durbridge in the break, so would be in great position if they can work together to work over the rest.
The gap is starting to come down now, to 50 seconds with just 12km to go, as they approach the final climb.
The breakaway riders are climbing the Côte de Chanteloup-les-Vignes for the last time today. Will they keep working together, or will attacks be made?
In the peloton it's the GC teams rather than the stage-hunters who are riding at the front onto the climb. They'll go at a steady pace rather than a fast one, with no interest in bringing this break back.
Durbridge has been dropped out of the break on this climb.
Le Berre attacks, and has a gap over the others.
Le Berre crests the climb with a small gap over the rest.
Attacks in the peloton! Costiou and Baudin go clear, and crest the climb a bit ahead of the peloton.
They're brought back by the peloton.
Now there are counter-attacks on the flat after the summit. Pacher has gone clear with Delbove.
Pacher and Delbove have been brought back. The peloton is all back together.
At the front, Le Berre has been brought back by the other four riders. Durbridge, however, has not returned.
The peloton are getting their act together, and under the pace by Visma-Lease a Bike the gap has come down to 20 seconds with 7km to go.
It looks like we might have a bunch sprint after all.
Still the gap remains at 20 seconds with 6km to go.
Still it's Visma who lead the peloton. They're protecting Vingegaard for GC, but might also fancy the chances of Axel Zingle in the sprint.
Now just 7 seconds with 4km to go. It's close, but advantage peloton.
They're bravely fighting on, and still have 6 seconds with 3km to go.
The looks like it's it. Some riders in the break have sat up and been reabsorbed, with 2km left to ride.
Pedersen and Gringard are still out there, but the sprinter teams are winding up their lead-out trains now.
That's it, with 1300m left to ride, the last of the break is caught. We're going to have a sprint!
EF are leading out the sprint for Lamperti.
Vito Braet takes second, and Orluis Aular is third.
Lamperti was brilliantly led out by EF teammate Marijn van den Berg, and led the sprint from start to finish.
Cees Bol was the first to start his sprint, but went too early and faded out of the top ten.
Milan Fretin takes fourth place, while Biniam Girmay was down in fifth. That's not the return NSN wanted after all the work they did throughout the day.
Lenny Martinez was one of the riders involved in the crash, and remounted his bike somewhat gingerly. Thankfully, as the incident occurred inside the final 3km, no time losses will count.
Lamperti’s victory comes as a huge relief for EF Education-EasyPost, as before today they had not claimed a single victory this year. With the young American sprinting like this, they will surely have their eye on tomorrow’s stage too - on a day in which he’ll have the honour of wearing the yellow jersey.
That’s also the biggest win of Lamperti’s career so far. There was much hype surrounding the American during his time at QuickStep, but he never quite lived up to expectations. Victory today suggests that EF Education-EasyPost might be where the 23-year-old really starts to blossom.
The win for EF Education-EasyPost leaves PicnicPostNL as the only World Tour squad still without one in 2026. That will especially sting after all the work they did today, especially as their sprinter Van Uden was nowhere to be seen in the sprint finish.
Biniam Girmay might have been able to challenge Lamperti, but had no room to attempt to come around him between the American and the barrier.
Casper Pedersen might not have been able to contest for the stage win after the break was caught, but will get to wear the polka-dot jersey having picked up enough points in the King of the Mountains competition.
Thanks for joining us today! We’ll be back again tomorrow for stage two, where Luke Lamperti will wear the yellow jersey - and have another chance to sprint for a stage win on a day that looks likely to be a bunch finish.
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