Jorgenson and Sheffield dance on the USA’s Promenade
March 16 th 2025 - 17:24
The Promenade des Anglais (“the Englishman’s promenade”) in Nice smiled at the USA’s stars on Sunday. Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) made the most of an animated stage 8, marked by the many attacks of Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), to claim his first victory in the World Tour. In his wake, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) finished second of the stage and thus sealed the overall victory in dominant fashion, putting the final touches to a triumph built both on the flat, especially with the echelons towards Berre-l’Étang (stage 6), and on the climbs. Already crowned in 2024, he is the tenth rider to win back-to-back editions of the Race to the Sun, following the likes of Jacques Anquetil (the first to do so, in 1965 and 1966), Sean Kelly (who holds the records with 7 wins in a row in the 1980s) and Max Schachmann (winner in 2020 and 2021). His runner-up Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) wins the best young rider standings and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) completes the overall podium, just ahead of Sheffield.
The peloton have reached Nice and the sky is blue for the final stage of the 83rd edition of the Race to the Sun. The final day is traditionally explosive and today’s course is very much suited for attacking with the Col de la Porte, Côte de Peille and Col des Quatre Chemins. And it’s very windy today…
Too brutal for McNulty
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) attacks as soon as the flag drops. It’s only the beginning of an impressive show from the Danish star, leader of the points standings. As in tradition, a flurry of attacks animates the final stage around Nice. And Pedersen features in almost every group, with other attackers such as Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)…
The pace is too brutal for Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), 7th in GC, who abandons after being dropped early in the day. Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost) and Adrien Petit (Intermarché-Wanty) suffer the same fate.
Pedersen, again and again and again
With the peloton chasing every attack and counter-attack, Pedersen goes solo at the bottom of the first categorised climb of the day, to Col de la Porte (7km at 7.2%). He’s caught again as Ineos Grenadiers set a strong pace in the bunch, reduced to less than 30 riders at the summit. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) is isolated, with no teammate around him.
Pedersen thus goes again on the downhill. And this time, he opens a gap of 1’15’’ into the last 50 kilometres of the stage.
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) attacks up the Côte de Peille (summit at km 79.2). But Matteo Jorgenson reacts well. Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) and Aleks Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) eventually manage to join him inside the last kilometre of ascent. The gap to the GC group is down to 20’’.
Sheffield and Jorgenson fly away
Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) gets away on the downhill and bridges the gap to the front trio with 30 km to go. The gap to the GC group increases to a minute but Jorgenson reacts towards Col d’Èze, with an intermediate sprint at the summit. Pedersen goes first on the line to all but secure the green jersey. Jorgenson brings the gap down to 15’’.
The situation settles towards the final climb of the day, Col des Quatre Chemins, with its gradient reaching 16%. Sheffield goes solo with 12.5 km to go. At the summit, he is 20’’ ahead of Jorgenson and Gall. That’s more than enough for Sheffield to storm to victory in Nice, while Jorgenson seals the overall victory for the second year in a row.
