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Follow us on GoogleEvery year in March, it is a fascinating showdown: who will participate in the Tirreno-Adriatico, and who will start in Paris-Nice? The French race can count on excellent riders in recent years and now welcomes Jonas Vingegaard of Visma | Lease a Bike. But who will seriously challenge the Dane? IDLProCycling.com will keep track of the contenders for you.
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It is already time for the 83rd edition of Paris-Nice, one of the biggest and most popular stage races of the year. It traditionally starts on the Sunday after Strade Bianche, one day earlier than the Tirreno. The race begins in the Paris region, this time from Le Perray-en-Yvelines. There is a team time trial on day three of the course, and the final day never disappoints, with the start and finish in Nice in the South of France.
So it's not surprising that many riders have decided to ride here in recent years. Last year, we had a great battle between Remco Evenepoel and the more than surprising winner, Matteo Jorgenson. The American is back but will generally work for Vingegaard. He won Tirreno last year but has yet to add Paris-Nice to his list of achievements. In his only participation in 2023, he came in third, at a reasonable distance from his great rival, Tadej Pogacar.
Read more below the photo.
Jonas Vingegaard returns to Paris-Nice
Can Vingegaard win Paris-Nice?
With the list of participants for the Tirreno-Adriatico
known, we must admit that there is a clear winner in 2025 regarding quality. Almost all the Giro d'Italia leaders are heading to Tirreno, but Paris-Nice can look forward to seeing riders who have finished the Tour de France this year. Pogacar will not be present, but that shouldn't spoil the fun. João Almeida (UAE), Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla) and the duo Lenny Martinez-Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain) are present.
Who else is challenging Visma | Lease a Bike and Vingegaard? Well, Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) is doing well so far in 2025. Mattias Skjelmose continues his Tour de France preparations on behalf of Lidl-Trek. Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull), Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL), and Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) are also worth mentioning. Tim Merlier (Quick Step) and Fabio Jakobsen (Picnic) represent the sprint specialists.
Participants and ambitions of favorites for Paris-Nice 2025
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026