Paris-Nice | Jonas Vingegaard crashes and loses yellow jersey to Jorgenson; Lenny Martínez wins on ultra-steep finish

Cycling
Thursday, 13 March 2025 at 16:16
lennymartinezparisnice

Team Visma | Lease a Bike has had a very mixed day at Paris-Nice, as once again they finish second and see the race lead change. Victim of a crash earlier in the day, Jonas Vingegaard failed to have the legs in the finale and cracked, losing key time. Matteo Jorgenson is the new race leader after a strong performance on the final climb, where Lenny Martínez was the strongest to take the stage win.

The start of the stage was very fast, fruit of a day that could've potentially gone for a breakaway. Ultimately many made their effort to try and form a breakaway, but it was a small move from Ben Swit and Thibaud Gruel that ended up forming the escapee group. The duo never threatened the peloton.

But it wasn't a calm down behind, as race leader Jonas Vingegaard himself went down with just over 80 kilometers to go. The Visma rider didn't suffer big injuries but the mishap didn't bring any positive news. With 43 kilometers to go, exactly as had happened yesterday, Tobias Foss of INEOS launched an attack bridging across to Swift in the head of the race. He then set off by himself forming the new head of the race as the former breakaway was caught.

In the penultimate climb of the day the pace was very hard in the peloton, and the same was said of the uphill intermediate sprint where Florian Lipowitz went on and snatched two seconds in the important fight for the podium.

Foss was caught before the final climb and the fight into it was brutal, with Lidl-Trek and Visma fighting to enter in front (although Jonas Vingegaard slid back the peloton before the start of the ascent). Axel Zingle and then Brandon McNulty hit the front then working for Almeida.

Matteo Jorgenson then spent most of the climb in the front of the group, in the ultra-steep gradients it was all about the legs. Jorgenson pushed the pace all the way to the line, and in the final meters only Lenny Martínez had the legs to really explode out of the American's wheel to go on and take an impressive stage win. Clément Champoussin finished second and Jorgenson was third, climbing back into the race lead. João Almeida struggled and lost some seconds, whilst Vingegaard had a very difficult time and lost around 25 seconds at the line to his teammate (including bonifications).

1Martinez LennyBahrain Victorious02:36:23
2Champoussin ClémentXDS Astana Team+ 03
3Jorgenson MatteoTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 03
4Tejada HaroldXDS Astana Team+ 03
5Lipowitz FlorianRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe+ 06
6Almeida JoaoUAE Team Emirates-XRG+ 07
7McNulty BrandonUAE Team Emirates-XRG+ 11
8Van Wilder IlanSoudal Quick-Step+ 16
9Sheffield MagnusINEOS Grenadiers+ 16
10Paret-Peintre AurélienDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 18
11Alaphilippe JulianTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 20
12Storer MichaelTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 20
13Arensman ThymenINEOS Grenadiers+ 22
14Martin-Guyonnet GuillaumeGroupama-FDJ+ 22
15Castrillo PabloMovistar Team+ 26
16Vingegaard JonasTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 26
17Skjelmose MattiasLidl-Trek+ 28
18Gall FelixDecathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team+ 35
19Jegat JordanTeam TotalEnergies+ 38
20Silva ThomasCaja Rural-Seguros RGA+ 41
21O'Connor BenTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 41
22Zimmermann GeorgIntermarché-Wanty+ 45
23Vergallito LucaAlpecin-Deceuninck+ 45
24Romeo IvánMovistar Team+ 45
25Schachmann MaxSoudal Quick-Step+ 54
26García RaúlARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 54
27Barta WilliamMovistar Team+ 59
claps 4visitors 4
2 Comments
Ride1974 14 March 2025 at 15:35+ 269

I was wondering what really happened, if he was just not yet peaking at this time of the year, or if this just wasn't going to be his year, but apparently the accident affected him.

Mistermaumau 13 March 2025 at 22:32+ 3285

And considering the details coming out, I’d like to hear from all those mocking his annoyance of having to ride in yesterday’s weather, don’t think they’d have ridden to the end that way with a probable broken hand. Also, he was only one of a very large number equally critical that NOBODY criticised, including Jorgenson, Sheffield and the peleton spokesman. O’connor was probably the most upset by it all but doesn’t seem to have spoken about it?

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