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Result
Mattias Skjelmose takes stage 6 victory as McNulty returns to race lead
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 6 of Paris-Nice!
We're in for 198.2km of racing today with the flag dropping within the next half an hour.
Five classified climbs on today's route, including four second-category tests.
The biggest news of the morning is Chris Froome suffering a fractured wrist at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Over here in Paris-Nice, let's take a look at the stage 5 results and the GC picture heading into today.
Olav Kooij took his second sprint win of the week in Sisteron yesterday, beating Mads Pedersen to the line with a rapid late dash to the line.
We've also got live coverage of stage 5 at Tirreno-Adriatico today as the peloton faces a tough late climb on the road to Valle Castellana.
The riders have rolled out into the neutral zone to start the day.
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198km to go
After a short neutralised section, the flag has dropped and racing is underway!
Attacking from the start but no breakaway gone just yet.
It's a fast pace early on.
183km to go
Cédric Beullens (Lotto Dstny), Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost) and Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) try a move off the front.
The trio are quickly reeled in, however.
It was a race that the UCI refused to sanction, citing an "excessive number of stages", "excessive individual stage distances", "excessive climbing", and an "excessive duration"...
17 stages, 1,067km with 6,705 metres of climbing and just one rest day – that was the Idaho Women's Challenge, which ran from 1984 to 2002.
Mountain classification leader Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) has now gone on the attack along with Rémi Cavagna (Movistar).
177km to go
No breakaway as the pair are reeled back in.
It's dry and cloudy at the race today with a chilly temperature of 9°C.
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170km to go
Still no breakaway today...
Three riders didn't take the start of the stage today – DSM-Firmenich PostNL duo Nils Eekhoff and Tobias Andreesen and Alpecin-Deceuninck's SIlvan Dillier.
139 riders left in Paris-Nice.
164km to go
A 43kph average speed so far.
Not much going on but at least they'll get to the finish quickly.
The race is heading slightly uphill as the riders head towards the first climb of the day in around 30km. Double stage winner Olav Kooij has been dropped.
156km to go
Still no breakaway here.
A nice shot from the early stages of today's race.
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Former race leader Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) now on the move along with Rémi Cavagna (Movistar), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), and Anthon Charmig (Astana)
148km to go
The quartet tried a move but they've been brought back by the peloton.
A shot of one of the several attacks which didn't manage to go clear.
Another attack now, this time featuring Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) and Thibaut Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels).
141km to go
Cristian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Dušan Rajović (Bahrain Victorious) are chasing.
Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), Thibaut Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Cristian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Dušan Rajović (Bahrain Victorious) all together up front now.
Closing in on the day's first climb, the Col des Lèques.
Now the six-man group have been caught.
The riders have hit the second-category Col des Lèques (6.6km at 5%) now.
Cristian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan) is on the move again with Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek), Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny), and Pierre Latour (TotalEneries).
131km to go
That group has now been caught too.
And now another counter which includes Burgaudeau.
Alexis Gougeard (Cofidis) has abandoned. He was off the back of the peloton earlier.
The mountain classification standings at the moment...
📊 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐮 𝐝é𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐞 𝐥’é𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞1️⃣ 🇫🇷 @mat_burgaudeau, 28 pts2️⃣ 🇮🇹 Christian Scaroni, 21 pts3️⃣ 🇨🇴 @SantiagoBS26, 20 pts4️⃣ 🇫🇷 @p_latour, 19 pts5️⃣ 🇩🇪 @DieZiege3, 13 pts#ParisNice pic.twitter.com/lCBFu1I0fCMarch 8, 2024
Burgaudeau has Scaroni, Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché-Wanty) for company.
Michael Storer (Tudor) and Gijs Leemreize (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) are trying to get across to the attackers.
128km to go
Six up front with a small lead now as the riders head towards the top of the climb.
Scaroni beats Burgaudeau over the top of the climb.
Mads Pedersen and Cedric Beullens (Lotto-Dstny) are on the move behind the leaders.
Pedersen and Beullens make it across on the way down the descent.
30 seconds between break and peloton.
Burgaudeau leading the way up the previous climb.
116km to go
Now the riders are starting the next climb, the second-category Col de Luens (6.8km at 4.7%).
Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) and Marco Haller (Bora-Hansgrohe) have now joined the breakaway.
Two minutes between break and peloton now.
An average speed of 41kph so far.
112km to go
Omar Fraile and Jonathan Castroviejo are leading the peloton for Ineos Grenadiers and they're working on reducing the gap.
Burgaudeau leads the way over the top of the day's second climb to take five points to Scaroni's three.
A short descent and now the riders are on the third-category Côte de la Blachette (3km at 5.5%).
The riders haven't had much time to enjoy the views today.
🏔️ Le cadre est encore magnifique aujourd’hui 😍🏔️ The scenery is stunning amidst the mountains today! 😍#ParisNice pic.twitter.com/Vzj8YbcBHnMarch 8, 2024
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Burgaudeau leads the way once more over the Blanchette with Scaroni again next in line.
102km to go
The peloton has closed to within 40 seconds of the break now, however. Ineos Grenadiers still lead the way.
Pithie and Leemreize at the head of the breakaway.
Some time on the plateau and then a lengthy descent ahead of the next climb, which comes at 58km to go.
The gap between break and peloton is now back up to just over a minute.
Hugo Hofstetter (Israel-Premier Tech) has abandoned.
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90km to go
The gap to the break remains stable at around 1:05
It's all kicking off on the late climb at Tirreno-Adriatico today.
On the way downhill now towards the stage's next climb.
Remco Evenepoel among the peloton today.
78km to go
Still a 40kph average speed for the day as the riders continue downhill.
The break's advantage continues to hover at around the minute mark.
39 mountain points for Burgaudeau so far. He leads Scaroni by eight points while Buitrago is third on 20 points.
Ineos Grenadiers still leading at the head of the peloton with a full squad.
Egan Bernal in there among his Ineos Grenadiers teammates.
66km to go
The breakaway are almost at the bottom of the descent.
This has been the longest stage of the race and it has certainly felt like it.
Heading back uphill now to the second-category Col de Gourdon (6.3km at 4.3%).
Ineos Grenadiers continue to push the pace behind and the gap to the break drops under 30 seconds.
Sprinters dropping from the rear of the peloton.
60km to go
10 seconds for the break now.
And Burgaudeau kicks on with Haller in his wheel.
Behind them, what's left of the peloton is swallowing up the remainder of the break.
A big split at the head of the peloton here engineered by Ineos Grenadiers.
Race leader Luke Plapp was quick to react, others less so, but it seems like the group is coming back together here.
A larger peloton there now including all the main favourites.
59km to go
It's over for Haller and Burgaudeau now, 900 metres from the top of the climb.
Around 20 or so riders at the head of the race now.
Fraile at the front turns and waves his arm, letting Burgaudeau go back to the front to contest the KOM at the top.
The Frenchman once again fought against Scaroni, with the Italian not managing to get out of the wheel and taking second across the top.
Burgaudeau adds three points to his mountain classification lead today, then. He has 44 points to Scaroni's 34.
The second group is 15 seconds off the back of this leading peloton.
UAE Team Emirates and Lidl-Trek are leading the front group.
50km to go
17 seconds between the groups.
Speeding down the descent here and the groups are still separate.
45km to go
UAE and Lidl still driving it at the front.
Now 15 seconds between the groups and another further back at 30 seconds.
The final climb of the day is Côte de La Colle-sur-Loup (1.8km at 10%), though it comes 28km from the line.c
The chase group is closing in.
Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R) is among the second group but they're almost back.
36km to go
Gall and co are back at the front now.
UAE continue to drive the pace.
Bora-Hansgrohe and Ineos Grenadiers also up there.
Will Ineos' work pay off today?
Now Lidl move up, too.
The 1.8km, 10% Côte de La Colle-sur-Loup is coming up now.
Lidl-Trek lead the way into the short, sharp climb.
Here we go!
The riders pass through the finish line and begin the steep slopes.
Riders dropping out the rear.
Bora-Hansgrohe now leading it for Roglič.
30km to go
Now Roglič pushes on! McNulty is with him.
Buitrago now moves up to Roglič. Evenepoel coming across now, too.
Plapp also there.
Roglič, Buitrago, Evenepoel Plapp out front but more riders are coming across.
Matteo Jorgenson the next to attack.
He gets a gap and now Roglič is dropping away.
Plapp, Vine, Evenepoel leading the chase.
Around 12 in the group at 13 seconds behind Jorgenson.
Evenepoel now taking over with 400 metres left of the climb.
Already I'm wondering why the finish line is at the bottom of the climb rather than the top. Surely everything is just going to come back together after the summit...
Nobody wiling or able to work with Evenepoel.
28km to go
Jorgenson with 15 seconds as Buitrago now takes over on the descent.
Evenepoel back on the front.
It's raining now.
Buitrago crashes, sliding out on a corner.
He's back up and running though.
Buitrago has Pello Bilbao with him in the chase. They're 35 seconds behind Jorgenson and 20 down on the main group.
26km to go
Skjelmose and McNulty have slipped off the front.
Evenepoel, Bernal, Roglič, Plapp, Gall, Tejada, Vine, Paret-Peintre, Gaudu, Vlasov among the main group.
Buitrago still battling to get back, 38 seconds down.
Up front, Skjelmose and McNulty have caught Jorgenson and the rest aren't far behind.
Vlasov nips off the front of the chase group.
23km to go
Buitrago stops and drops his bike at the side of the road. A bike change for the unlucky Colombian.
Jorgenson, McNulty, Skjelmose have 10 seconds.
Vlasov brought back.
58 seconds for Buitrago.
1km to go until the intermediate sprint. It looks like the lead trio will take the bonus seconds.
Evenepoel doing it all on his own in the chase.
Plapp, Evenepoel, Roglič, Vlasov, Vine, Kelderman, Bernal, Gall, Paret-Peintre, Tejada in the chase group.
21km to go
Jorgenson accelerates to grab six bonus seconds. Skjelmose takes four and McNulty takes two.
Plapp is still virtual leader, with McNulty in virtual second place for now thanks to Buitrago's crash.
Buitrago at 1:05 now.
Vlasov is the only rider helping Evenepoel in the chase now. Decathlon AG2R have two men but they aren't contributing.
Jorgenson making his move earlier on.
18km to go
25 seconds for the leaders now and McNulty is almost in the virtual lead!
The American is 27 seconds down and has those two bonus seconds, too.
Evenepoel, Buitrago, Roglič on the climb earlier on.
Now 30 seconds for the three leaders.
The gap is only going up.
10 men in the group behind and only Evenepoel and Vlasov have done any work in the chase. Racing to lose.
Plapp is out of the yellow as things stand and at the back of the chase group.
14km to go
Almost 40 seconds for the lead trio here.
Skjelmose is the worst-placed of the leaders at 1:27 down on Plapp.
McNulty is at 27 seconds while Jorgenson is at 52 seconds.
Jorgenson, McNulty, Skjelmose on the attack.
11km to go
47 seconds now.
The riders are still heading downhill back towards La Colle-sur-Loup.
The chase group seem to be dropping back to Buitrago now. Only 10-12 seconds between them.
50 seconds from the lead to the chase.
9km to go
Into the final 10km and this race looks certain to have a new (old) leader in the form of Brandon McNulty.
The lead trio still working well together here.
The three attackers.
Some more riders, including Plapp, starting to take turns in the chase but it's far too little too late.
And now it's back to Bora and Evenepoel at the front.
Evenepoel and Roglič may have got their tactics wrong today but at least they've given it a go in the chase.
5km to go
Almeida, Vine, Rodríguez are in the next group, 15 seconds down on the chase. Buitrago is actually a little further back.
55 seconds now for the lead trio.
4km to go
Nearing a minute now as Bora continue to lead the chase.
We're just waiting to see who will win the stage now. Any chance of a catch is long, long gone.
3km to go
Over a minute now. Almeida's group a further 10 seconds down.
Jorgenson leads the group towards the final kilometre.
1km to go
The trio lead by a minute.
Jorgenson continues to lead.
He lets McNulty take over at 500 to go.
Evenepoel pushes on under the flamme rouge.
McNulty on the front as Skjelmose waits behind.
Skjelmose makes his move at around 250 metres to go!
He's the best climber there and it shows.
The US pair can't respond.
Finish
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) wins stage 6 at Paris-Nice!
Evenepoel leads the way among the chasers.
He has a gap in the final few hundred metres!
The Belgian champion leads the group home at around 52 seconds back.
He is clearly the strongest among the chasers.
Buitrago crosses the line at 2:40 down. A sad day for the Colombian climber.
Skjelmose celebrates the win.
Evenepoel finished fourth to take a second on the other chasers.
McNulty is the new race leader with a 23-second lead over Jorgenson.
Plapp is third at 34 seconds while Skjelmose leaps up 14 places to fourth at 54 seconds.
Evenepoel and Bernal are next in the standings at 1:03 and 1:14.
Here's what stage winner Skjelmose had to say after the win today...
"I'm really happy and surprised. I was feeling quite good all day but these days are special and you need a lot of luck. The team worked perfectly for me after Mads [Pedersen] was brought back from the breakaway and when the team works like that it minimises the luck you need.
"I thought Remco or Primož or one of the guys high up in GC would close [Jorgenson] and then I tried to pull a little bit and they gave me a few metres. Then, I just went off and Brandon joined me and we could close to Matteo.
"There have been bigger miracles in cycling than me winning Paris-Nice, but I think the other guys are stronger than me. Today was a weird way to win because I played on me being down on GC and them having such a big gap on me. It's not the nicest way to win and those guys were stronger than me today, I think.
"I feel better than when I won the Tour de Suisse last year and I think I'm in a good place right now."
Evenepoel leading home the chase group for fourth place.
But Skjelmose was the man celebrating at the finish today after his first win of the season.
Burgaudeau among the riders finishing now at 20 minutes down. He's safe in the polka dot jersey for another day.
Skjelmose takes the plaudits for his win on the podium.
Meanwhile McNulty is back in yellow as the race leader.
That's all from us today.
Be sure to check in through the evening for more news and reaction from Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, and come back this weekend to follow the concluding stages at both races!
