The sun shone brightly on two US riders on the final day of Paris-Nice, with Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) winning stage 8 in Nice and compatriot Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) finishing second to secure the GC victory.
Sheffield launched a solo attack on the brutal Col des Quatre Chemins climb with 12.5km to go, having dropped Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) in the process, the Dane the most active rider in his quest to secure the sprint classification award. It was an emotional victory for Sheffield, who earned his first major WorldTour victory.
Meanwhile, Jorgenson matched many attacks on the 119.9km day of climbing, eventually making his way to the lead chase group, and using the fast descent into Nice to cross the line 29 seconds behind Sheffield.
Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) completed the stage podium in third, 26 seconds ahead of a group of six chasers, which included Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who fought to hold on to second overall.
Jorgenson made it back-to-back GC titles at the Race to the Sun, this time with a margin of 1:15 over Lipowitz and 1:58 over Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers). Sheffield's powerful ride moved him two spots in the GC, and he finished 19 seconds behind his Ineos teammate for fourth overall.
Jorgenson later described his final day in the saddle at Paris-Nice as "a relief".
"I've been thinking about this week for the past four months," he said. "Just a lot of stress coming off now. It's nice to do it [win] and know I did everything I could. It worked out," the two-time winner said at the finish to broadcasters.
"I credit my team, really. I was so well-supported this week. Today, I was pretty isolated and I knew that would be the case in the mountains. But the rest of the week we took full advantage of really having a strong team on the flats, and tactically and positioning.
"Everyone was committed from day one, and that feels really good. I am so happy to be on this team. And I've won Paris-Nice two years in a row - that's crazy to say that."
While Jorgenson smiled and laughed during his post-race interview, Sheffield, three years his junior at just 22, became teary-eyed during his comments.
"It's really unbelievable. I've been second so many times now. It's my first victory at the WorldTour level. It means so much," Sheffield said before the podium ceremony to organisers, getting emotional at the realisation of his win.
"It's just so hard to win any race. It means really so much. Today, I think we made a really good plan on the bus. We didn't give up. We tried to use the guys on that first climb, we continued with the pace and we had the numbers [over the climbs] so it was about playing our cards right.
"Matteo was isolated, Lipowitz was isolated. So I told the boys that I would go to the back and then I would attack and not look back. I was able to get across to Mads [Pedersen] and I knew I was stronger than him on the climb, so I had to use him as best that I could."
On the descent and final stretch with a solo lead, he said he had some issues with his gears, and began to worry about any chasers making the catch until he saw the final banner, feeling "so happy and relieved to cross the finish line first".
How it unfolded
A blue sky illuminated the start of stage 8 at Paris-Nice, after being reluctant to shine all week. The start in Nice began uphill for the opening 50km from the serene Mediterranean setting for a first of three category 1 climbs, Col de la Porte (7km at 7.2%). Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was the first rider to test the peloton with a couple of charges at the front in the opening 20km, both attacks quickly closed down.
Just 12km into the proceedings, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) dropped back and a few kilometres later he gave up his seventh position in GC when he dismounted and did not continue, the US rider having been ill the last few days. Also pulling out was Adrien Petit (Inermarché-Wanty) and Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost).
As the long approach to the Col de la Porte continued, multiple riders took brief flyers at the front, including Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) and another try by Pedersen. Then a move finally stuck with
Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost).
With 81km to go, on a small descent leading to the base of the final ascent to Col de la Porte, Steinhauser dropped Narvaez and Pedersen, but the Lidl-Trek rider decided to counter and it was the Dane who grabbed his own daylight, carving out a 15-second advantage quickly. But again, the peloton brought Pedersen back in the fold another 5km on.
Once across the crest of the climb, who took off again on the twisty descent? Pedersen again. His aggressiveness was rewarded with a 25-second advantage once reaching the base of the descent and with 55km to go was away by 1:15.
At the bottom of the Côte de Peille (6.5km, 6.9%) with less than 50km to race, Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla) gave chase.
In the peloton, Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) made a move with Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). GC leader Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) matched the attacks as Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) also joined the party. They caught Vlasov and O'Connor, with Jorgenson taking up the pacemaking on the climb which would fragment the peloton behind.
Near the top of the climb, Pedersen had Vlasov and Gall for company, holding a slight 20-second gap over the yellow jersey group of chasers. Next on the to-do list was a quest for the intermediate sprint points on the banks of the 13% gradient of Col d'Eze, and with help now from two riding companions, Pedersen looked to secure the points jersey for good.
Foss led the chase group, a solid group with yellow jersey Jorgenson, Arensman, Sheffield, Lipowitz, Harold Tejada and Clément Champoussin (XDS-Astana), Michael Storer (Tudor), João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep) and a handful of other riders.
With 34km to go, Sheffield left the chase group behind and set off to catch the leading trio. The peloton was more than 3 minutes back of the action, and two riders with Soudal-QuickStep, Tim Merlier and Bert Van Lerberghe, called it a day and abandoned.
Using a massive effort, Sheffield caught the leaders and pulled the lead group towards the intermediate sprint, with Pedersen taking the points to confirm the sprint classification title for the race. Pedersen and Sheffield then attacked at the front. Jorgenson joined Vlasov and Gall for the chase with 25km to go.
The third and final category 1 challenge at Col des Quatre Chemins (3.6% at 8.8%) loomed, with Pedersen getting out of the saddle several times to maintain top speed and usher his companion Sheffield on the descent to the base of the climb, holding 15 seconds on the yellow jersey.
Once on the narrow climb and 12.5km to go, Sheffield went away solo while Pedersen was soon caught and passed by Jorgenson, Vlasov and Gall. Vlasov dropped back and was joined by Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and Lipowitz, clad in the white young rider's jersey, led what remained of the peloton riding for damage control.
Sheffield stormed away on the ripping descent with less than 10km to the finish in Nice, while compatriot Jorgenson unhooked himself from Gall and rode a handful of seconds in the chase with his eyes on the overall prize.
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