Paris-Nice 2024: Tiger jump secures stage win and overall lead for Kooij at the start
Sebastian Lindner
· 03.03.2024
Pedersen was considered the big favourite due to the difficult finale of stage 1. Many classic sprinters had not made it to the finishing straight with the leading group. Kooij, however, did. The 22-year-old Dutchman acted cleverly on the rear wheel of his rival and only left the slipstream late. The New Zealander Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) finished third with a sufficient safety margin.
This is Kooij's second success in the long-distance race in France after winning a stage at Paris-Nice last year. Last year, however, it was a flat stage that he won. The 158-kilometre opening stage around Les Mureaux, a little west of Paris, on the other hand, was already clearly profiled. "We knew it would be tough today, but we wanted to give it a go," said winner Kooij. "My team put me in a good position, although I had to suffer quite a bit."
Evenepoel checks the competition
With his stage win, Kooij has secured the overall lead and swapped the yellow Visma jersey for the yellow leader's jersey. On stage 2, which is completely flat, he definitely has the chance to defend the jersey. "Tomorrow should be more favourable for me."
On the first day, the classification riders were also active in the final kilometres. After a breakaway group led by Jonas Rutsch (EF Education EasyPost), who secured the mountains jersey, was placed a good 30 kilometres before the finish, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick Step) used the final climbs to test his rivals. However, they fended off all attempts with aplomb.
Paris-Nice 2024 - Results: The top 10 of stage 1
- Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) 3:36:28
- Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) +0:00
- Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) +0:00
- Nils Eekhoff (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:00
- Madis Mihkels (Intermarche-Wanty) +0:00
- Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:00
- Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +0:00
- Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) +0:00
- Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies) +0:00
- Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:00
Paris-Nice 2024 2024 - Results: The current standings in the overall standings
- Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) 3:36:28
- Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) +0:04
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:04
- Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) +0:06
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick Step) +0:06
- Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:08
- Nils Eekhoff (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:10
- Madis Mihkels (Intermarche-Wanty) +0:10
- Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:10
- Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +0:10
How the first stage of Paris-Nice 2024 went
Shortly after the start, a trio around Rutsch set out to ride the most kilometres from the front as the group of the day. His team-mate, Swiss rider Stefan Bissegger, and Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) from France were also in the group.
The first mountain classification on the Côte de Bazemont (Cat. 3), which was ridden again that day, was reached after just eleven kilometres. Burgaudeau secured three points, two went to Rutsch. The second classification was reached 80 kilometres later with the Côte d'Herbeville (Cat. 3), where Rutsch and the Frenchman swapped positions. Another 30 kilometres later, the trio was back on the first climb. There was hardly anything left of the maximum three-minute lead. Rutsch and Burgaudeau sprinted for the points, as the winner would secure the mountain jersey. Rutsch came out on top and will ride in the points jersey tomorrow, shortly afterwards both were caught.
A new race developed over the remaining 36 kilometres. The first half of it remained calm, then it was time for the sprint classification, which was taken at the end of a hill. Too difficult for the sprinters, the classification riders fought for seconds there. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) secured bonus seconds ahead of Evenepoel and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), which pushed the trio slightly ahead in the overall standings.
Roglic wide awake at the start
But Evenepoel had more in mind than just bonus seconds. The Belgian pulled away, Jorgenson and Bernal stayed with him, Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) joined them. But after the teams had found each other for the chase, the gap was closed again three kilometres later. Evenepoel hadn't had enough, however, and tried again on the second crossing of the Côte d'Herbeville. But the competition was wide awake. Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe) was immediately on his rear wheel. Nevertheless, the attack caused the peloton to break up a little further back.
The sprinters around Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech), Arnaud Demare (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling) lost the bunch and never came back. Ten kilometres before the finish, at least the two main fields were back together, but the list of those left behind was still long. In addition, Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) went on the offensive, but was only able to save himself with a mini lead up to the 2 kilometre mark.
The sprinters then took over, with Lidl-Trek leading the way for Pedersen. Jasper Stuyven launched the sprint for his captain on the uphill finishing straight until 250 metres before the line. Then it was off into the final bend. Pedersen had Kooij on his rear wheel and had to ride everything from the front. The Dutchman left the slipstream in the last 100 metres and was able to secure victory by centimetres with a tiger's leap.
