Paris-Nice: The Visma team almost killed the suspense on the sun race

It may be the prototype of the false good idea. The team time trial, with the new time formula taken on the first runner, suggested a premature blow on Paris-Nice. And that’s what happened. The suspense took a hot blow this Tuesday in the Nièvre.

Unsurprisingly, the Dutch team Visma-Lease in Bike has won the victory in the streets of the center of Nevers. And as a symbol, it is the two best runners of the team, Jonas Vingegaard, the double winner of the Tour de France and Matteo Jorgenson, winner out of Paris-Nice who arrived detached on the line. Both ahead and all the other favorites for the final victory far behind.

In Paris-Nice, the disbursement released on Visma-Lease A Bike is a complicated gap to resume when you want to win on the Promenade des Anglais where the final victory is often played on a handful of seconds.

Concretely, behind the American-Danois duo, the other contenders are therefore far enough. Ben O’Connor (Jayco -alla), rather follower, is 21 ′ ‘. Vlasov (Red Bull) is at 31 ′ ‘, João Almeida (UAE) and Felix Gall (Decathlon – AG2R) are 48 ″…

So now Visma-Lease has bike faced with a choice of rich. Jorgenson is ahead of Vingegaard of six seconds. But the latter remains the leader. He wants to add this race to his record. Not winning, even in front of a teammate, would not be an indirect message of force and absence of pity, sent to Tadej Pogacar in the perspective of their confrontation on the next Tour de France.

Jorgensson gives the impression of being, at this stage of the season, a little above. But will a duel without a team instruction be on the agenda? In any case, if the two men rushed on the bitumen, they slowed down in front of the microphones. “The stage was perfect and I am happy to wear this yellow jersey that I had only endorsed on the podium of the last day last year. »»

“I feel good,” replied Vingegaard. ” And even better and better. With Matteo, we pushed very hard. Let’s say that we are both tied. I hope we will finish one and two at the end. But he was careful not to say in what sense.