Paris-Nice: Merlier wins the opening stage in a bunch sprint
With his victory in the opening stage ahead of Arnaud Demare (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) and Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Ccling Team), Merlier also took the lead in the overall standings. However, for a long time it was not clear whether he - like all the other sprinters - would even be able to intervene in the decision for the stage win. A breakaway trio that had broken away at the intermediate sprint nine kilometres before the end of the 156-kilometre stage around the Parisian suburb of Le Perray-en-Yvelines was not caught again until 2000 metres before the finish.
"It's always nice when you can start a tour with a win like this," said Merlier at the finish. He had already won the opening stage of Paris-Nice two years ago. This year it was his fifth success. "70 kilometres before the finish, Visma started to make the peloton nervous, then there were also a few attacks on the climbs. But we organised the chase well and in the end my team put me in a good position with a perfect lead-out," said the 32-year-old, describing the race from his point of view.
Max Walscheid (Team Jayco - AlUla) was the best German in tenth place, while Mads Pedersen (Lidl - Trek) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility), who were also highly rated, did not make it into the top 10.
In the battle for the overall standings, defending champion Matteo Jorgenson (Visma - Lease a Bike) was able to make up a little ground on his rivals. He collected four bonus seconds along the way.
Paris-Nice 2025 - Results of stage 1
Stage 1: Le Perray-en-Yvelines - Le Perray-en-Yvelines
Paris-Nice 2025: Stage 1, Le Perray-en-Yvelines - Le Perray-en-Yvelines
| Rnk. | Riders | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soudal Quick-Step | 03:32:03 |
| 2 | Arkéa - B&B Hotels | +00:00:00 |
| 3 | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | +00:00:00 |
| 4 | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | +00:00:00 |
| 5 | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +00:00:00 |
| 6 | XDS Astana Team | +00:00:00 |
How the 1st stage of Paris-Nice 2025 went
Three riders broke away from the peloton immediately after the sharp start. They were Alexandre Delettre (TotalEnergies), Samuel Fernandez (Caja Rural - Seguros) and Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché - Wanty). Their maximum lead: around two and a half minutes. But this was used up sooner than expected: with 60 kilometres to go, they were already in danger of being caught. However, Fernandez did not want to surrender just yet and picked up the pace again, taking Delettre with her. Van der Hoorn, on the other hand, disappeared back into the peloton.
Around ten kilometres later, however, it had happened. Which particularly favoured Delettre. After all, he had won the first of the two mountain classifications and was therefore as good as certain of the jersey before the last one. It was clear when defending champion Matteo Jorgenson (Visma - Lease a Bike) crossed the last mountain classification of the day in first place. For him, however, it wasn't about the points, but about countering Julian Alaphilippe's (Tudor Pro Cycling) increase in speed and keeping the peloton together just 22 kilometres before the finish.
Jorgenson was also in front at the intermediate sprint with a good nine kilometres to go, but had to let Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Emirates - XRG) pass him shortly before the classification. Narvaez tried to open up a gap, but was unable to do so due to the vigilance of his rivals. Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grandiers), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), however, did. The trio was able to gain a few seconds, with Skjelmose refusing to co-operate. When the group was caught 2000 metres from the finish, the bunch sprint could no longer be prevented.
