07/03/2023

Paris-Nice: Jumbo-Visma win team time-trial as Magnus Cort Nielsen moves into yellow jersey

The new format of the team time-trial at Paris-Nice provided some interesting spectacle, but it was Jumbo-Visma who confirmed their favourite status to take the stage win. Magnus Cort Nielsen is the new leader of the race.

The new rules implemented for the team time-trial meant that teams could afford to arrive with only one rider at the finish. Some teams opted to do so whilst others kept more traditional strategies. Team Jayco AlUla took an early lead that was strong, arriving with Simon Yates and Michael Matthews to the finish, taking over 40 seconds on Bahrain and INEOS.

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Tadej Pogacar put in the new rule to use arriving at the finish alone for UAE, but 19 seconds behind Jayco's time. Groupama-FDJ wit David Gaudu lost only 10 seconds to the Australian team. The differences were made later as several Jumbo-Visma riders arrived at the finish removing 4 seconds.

EF Education-EasyPost came very close to a surprise, as they rode a very strong time with only over a second at the finish separating the first rider of both teams. Because of the bonus seconds taken during yesterday's sprint Magnus Cort Nielsen moved into the race lead, as Jonas Vingegaard overtook Tadej Pogacar in the overall classification.