Five riders who impressed behind Vingegaard and Del Toro last week

In Paris-Nice, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe’s Colombian rider Daniel Felipe Martínez rode to second place overall despite a heavy crash on the final day. “It was a strong week from the whole team; everyone did a great job. The pace was high and I crashed hard on my ribs and arm. For a moment I thought I might have to abandon, but thanks to the help of my teammates I was able to finish.”

At Tirreno-Adriatico, Matteo Jorgenson secured second place overall after moving up a spot on the final day. “I’m happy with second place. We came here to win, of course, but Del Toro was stronger — in almost every stage and even in the time trial. There wasn’t really a place where I could get past him.” Still, several other riders also produced strong performances during the week.

First we head to France, where Vingegaard dominated Paris-Nice. Behind him, the fight for the remaining podium places was intense. Martínez ultimately finished second despite his crash, while the rider who secured third place after eight demanding days of racing was Georg Steinhauser of EF Education-EasyPost.

“I was lucky to have a really good day today,” the 24-year-old German said to CyclingProNet after the final stage. “It’s a special feeling to finish on the podium in a race like Paris-Nice. That definitely gives you a few extra watts — exactly what I needed today. I’m very happy to take third.”

It marks an encouraging sign for Steinhauser, who endured a difficult season last year. A virus kept him from achieving strong results, despite the promise he had shown in 2024 — including a stage win at the Giro d’Italia. “It’s an amazing feeling,” he added. “Cycling is full of ups and downs. Last year was definitely a low point; now I’m experiencing a big high. I’m going to enjoy it for as long as possible. I’m really, really happy.”

Fourth place in France went to Kévin Vauquelin, whose team INEOS Grenadiers won the team time trial on stage three. The 24-year-old Frenchman tried to attack again during the final stage but eventually conceded 17 seconds to Steinhauser. “We raced quite aggressively — more as hunters than defenders. Everything went well until the final climb,” Vauquelin explained to CyclingProNet.

“I don’t know why, but when I really had to push, I completely blocked. I haven’t fully understood why. It is what it is. I think I just have to accept it after my body spent such a long time off the bike due to injury this winter. I’m not at 100 percent yet, but I tried.”

Despite that, the Frenchman leaves Paris-Nice with a positive feeling. “I think we can be happy with our week because we had a great team. I want to thank them for believing in me despite the difficult circumstances. We leave with a victory in the time trial, and with fourth overall we can be satisfied. I’m very happy with my role as team leader.”

In Italy, the battle for the remaining podium places remained close until the final day. Giulio Pellizzari looked set to finish second overall, but Matteo Jorgenson — helped by his Visma | Lease a Bike teammates — collected enough bonus seconds on the final day to move up to second. That left the Italian rider in third place.

“It’s been an incredible week for us as a team,” Pellizzari said to CyclingProNet after the final stage. “We can be proud of what we’ve done and we’ll definitely remember it.” During the race, the young Italian even had experienced riders such as Primož Roglič working in support of him. “That’s really crazy. Just racing with them is incredible. They helped me a lot this week and I have to thank them for that. The whole team did an amazing job.”

As mentioned, Pellizzari came close to second place but ultimately had to settle for third after Visma’s tactical move on the final day. Did that make a big difference? “Not really,” he said. “Of course I would have preferred second. We tried to go for the bonus seconds, but they were simply stronger than us — so chapeau.”