Paris-Nice: Tim Merlier wins stage 1 as Tadej Pogacar lights up explosive finale

Stage 1 of Paris-Nice saw several attacks in the end with Pogacar active, but a sprint came along with Tim Merlier taking a powerful win for Soudal - Quick-Step.

Paul Ourselin (TotalEnergies) and Jonas Gregaard were the lone escapees throughout the day which saw a circuit around the town of La Verrière. It was never going to be a successful attack as the sprinter teams controlled the pack, but the punchy circuit provided opportunities towards the end to attack. The move was short lived, caught with 31 kilometers to go.

Just outside the final 20 kilometers in the toughest climb of the circuit Neilson Powless put on the hurt right from the bottom, Tadej Pogacar lively and taking the head of the peloton momentarily too. The group split to bits, with Powless attacking once again and going solo as the peloton reorganized itself.

It was a brave move but one then cancelled with 7 kilometers to go. The following hilltop saw action again however as the riders battled for the intermediate sprint seconds. Pogacar led the group through, and kept the pace up afterwards. Pierre Latour and Jonas VIngegaard bridged across in a very dangerous move that was collaborating, with Soudal - Quick-Step furiously chasing.

The main duo set back when the move was deemed unviable, with Latour then the solo leader, caught wth 2 kilometers to go. Florian Sénéchal got a little gap towards the end, as BORA - hansgrohe did an ideal leadout for Sam Bennett. Bennett put on a strong sprint but there was little that could be done as Tim Merlier stormed through to take a very strong win, on the opening day just as he had at the Tour of Oman and UAE Tour.

Merlier beat Sam Bennett and Olav Kooj in the final sprint, as the GC battle also began being played out with the bonus seconds obtained by Pogacar.