The first highlight of the 2025 Paris-Nice took place during the third stage around the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit. With a relatively smooth 29 km team time trial, the Visma-Lease a bike team gained a significant advantage over the competition.
Starting from the famous Nevers Magny-Cours Formula 1 circuit, the riders of this 83rd edition of Paris-Nice were set for a team time trial. A discipline that is slowly making a comeback after disappearing for years due to being considered unfair for smaller teams and not telegenic enough. Now back, this particular exercise requires above all great coordination between teammates.
In this competition, several teams were considered favorites. From Jayco AlUla to Red Bull – BORA – Hansgrohe, including INEOS Grenadiers with Thymen Arensman and Joshua Tarling, a great specialist in the discipline, it was hard to predict who would achieve victory before the start. While Jayco AlUla long believed they had secured first place, they didn’t account for the Visma-Lease a bike team of Matteo Jorgenson and Jonas Vingegaard. “We came close to perfection today. It’s promising. We’re already in a very good position overall,” reacted the double winner of the Tour at the finish line. The two major favorites of the day took advantage to gain several tens of seconds on their main contenders overall.
Matteo Jorgenson: “we are still co-leaders”
It is therefore the American Matteo Jorgenson, the defending champion, who will wear the yellow jersey tomorrow, ahead of… Jonas Vingegaard. Although six seconds separate them in the standings, their main competitors are trailing by thirty seconds or more. While not yet a decisive gap, it won’t be easy to close given the strength of the Visma team. We are slowly heading towards a duel between teammates. But both men assure there will be no conflict in the coming days. “We are still co-leaders, and it’s a luxury,” insisted the American, who acknowledges being less strong in the three-week races that are Jonas Vingegaard’s real targets.
Thus, it will be on the rugged roads of the Massif Central and then the Alpes-Maritimes that the two men will battle it out. With perhaps an outsider like Alexander Vlasov or Mattias Skjelmose trying to stir things up. The first clue comes tomorrow with a summit finish at the Loge des Gardes.
