Groupama FDJ’s Arnaud Demare won the 135km first stage of the Paris-Nice, which ended in a photo finish in Meudon today.
The Frenchman won the stage in 3:07:39, beating Bahrain-Merida’s Gorka Izagirre (Spain) and Cofidis, Solutions Credits’ Christophe Laporte (France) into second and third place respectively.
BMC Racing suffered a big blow when Tejay van Garderen – on the back of his Volta ao Algarve podium finish – crashed out of the race with just under 30km left.
Groupama FDJ’s Arnaud Demare pictured after winning the 135km first stage of the Paris-Nice today. Photo: Paris-Nice
“The last time I raced Paris-Nice was in 2015 where I had a disastrous day in the cold,” Van Garderen said.
“Hopefully we can learn from that and correct the mistakes from the past and make a solid push for a high General Classification result.
“With the strength, experience, and motivation BMC Racing Team is bringing to Paris Nice, we shouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than a top result.”
With 25km remaining, his teammate Jurgen Roelandts (Belgium), EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale’s Pierre Roland (France) and Fortuneo-Samsic’s Pierre-Luc Périchon (France) pressed on with a 25-second lead, as the rain cluttered down.
The peloton slowly caught up and, with about 14km to go, they swallowed the three leaders in.
The bunch strung out extensively with five kilometres to go, before a big crash ensued in the middle of the peloton involving 10 riders.
The rest of the peloton played a game of cat-and-mouse for the last two kilometres before Demare won in the final dash for the line.
View provisional results below.
Stage one
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama FDJ, France) 3:07:39
2. Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida, Spain)
3. Christophe Laporte (Solutions Credits, France)
4. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal, Belgium)
5. Mike Teunissen (Team Sunweb, Netherlands)
6. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors, France)
7. Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe, Austria) 3:07:41
8. Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing, Belgium)
9. Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott, Italy)
10. Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida, Spain)
General classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama FDJ, France) 3:07:39
2. Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida, Spain) +4″
3. Christophe Laporte (Solutions Credits, France) +6″
4. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal, Belgium) +10″
5. Mike Teunissen (Team Sunweb, Netherlands)
6. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors, France)
7. Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe, Austria) +12″
8. Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing, Belgium)
9. Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott, Italy)
10. Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida, Spain)
