“I didn’t even know if I would finish this stage” - Max Kanter surprises himself to seal biggest win of his career on stage 2 of Paris-Nice 2026
Cycling
Max Kanter could scarcely believe what he had achieved after sprinting to victory on Stage 2 of Paris-Nice 2026, admitting afterwards that he had not even been certain he would make it through the day after struggling physically in the days leading up to the race.
The XDS Astana Team sprinter emerged fastest in Montargis to take the win ahead of Laurence Pithie, completing a remarkable turnaround after arriving at the start of the stage with doubts about his condition.
Speaking after the finish, Kanter revealed just how uncertain he had felt before the race began.
“I didn’t even know if I would finish this stage because the last couple of days I felt really not good on the bike. And now I won today,” Kanter said in conversation with Cycling Pro Net.
A perfect lead-out
Kanter’s victory came after a precisely timed lead-out from his Astana teammates, who positioned him perfectly in the final kilometres before delivering him to the front in the decisive moments. “The lead-out was unbelievable into the last roundabout. He did the perfect lead-out, and I just had to finish it off in the last 200 metres.”
The sprint unfolded after a tense finale in which a late solo attack from Daan Hoole had briefly threatened to deny the fast men their opportunity. The Dutch rider held a small advantage deep into the final kilometres before the peloton finally swept past inside the final kilometre.
Once the bunch regrouped, the sprint teams quickly organised themselves for the run to the line, setting up the finish that ultimately delivered Kanter the biggest victory of his career.
Belief despite difficult weeks
Despite his uncertainty before the stage, Kanter insisted he had never completely lost faith in his sprinting ability. “The last couple of weeks were not the best, but I know that I have a really good sprint.”
With the race heading toward a straightforward bunch finish, the German sprinter explained that everything finally came together in the decisive moments. “Today everything worked perfectly in the last 200 metres, and I could show my sprint to the world.”
A major result in a major race
The significance of the victory was not lost on Kanter after the finish line celebrations, with the German emphasising the prestige attached to winning at Paris-Nice. “Paris-Nice is a really well-known race on the calendar, one of the biggest races in the world. It’s great to win a stage here.”
For Kanter and XDS Astana Team, the result provides a major boost early in the season, and a victory that even the stage winner himself had not expected just hours earlier.
Read also
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 3visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment