Stage 5 of Paris-Nice 2025 invited the riders to an additional mountain battle on a 203.3-kilometer route from Saint-Just-en-Chevalet to La Cote-Saint-Andre. The stage profile included six Category 3 climbs, and the battle of the bikes would conclude with a Category 2 mountain challenge.

The riders in the Paris-Nice peloton had been exposed to very adverse weather conditions in yesterday’s stage 4 where the riders had fought their way through snow, hailstorms and subzero temperatures. Most riders had been freezing when the race was temporarily neutralized when approximately fifty kilometers remained. Former Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard had been spoiled to a seat inside the warm team car, though.

Remarkably no riders had abandoned the race overnight, but there was bound to be illness coming in the professional peloton.

The first part of stage 5 of Paris-Nice 2025 was dominated by multiple breakaway attempts. The speed was high, and the riders were visibly nervous.

Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R), Clement Izquierdo (Cofidis), and Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula) were some of the riders eager to become part of a strong and lasting breakaway effort. 

Ben Swift (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ) were the only riders engaged in a breakaway effort when 100 kilometers remained. The duo was now descending from the mountain before the next Category 3 climb awaited.

The front duo had a lead of 03:50 minutes on the Cote de Treves climb.

Jonas Vingegaard was involved in a crash when 85 kilometers of today’s stage remained. The Visma-Lease a Bike captain got back on his bike and returned to the peloton. A crash in early April last year had a significant negative impact on Vingegaard’s 2024 season as the rider suffered multiple fractures and had to be hospitalized. Today’s crash was not as serious for the rider from Denmark.

Multiple riders abandoned the race during stage 5. Abandoning riders included Ryan Gibbons, Fabio Jakobsen, Sylvain Moniquet, and Samuel Leroux.

Swift and Gruel were still alone in front when fifty kilometers remained. At this point their time advantage had been reduced to 01:35 minutes. Visma and other teams were grinding seconds off the lead of the front duo and when 45 kilometers remained, the advantage was down to 57 seconds.

Tobias Foss attacked solo from the chasing peloton. The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was trying to make the leap to his teammate in the front escape duo.

Foss caught Swift and Gruel and the trio pressed on. Oscar Riesebeek tried his luck with a solo attack for Soudal-QuickStep. Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula) and Ivan Romeo (Movistar Team) also tried their luck.

Norwegian Tobias Foss later left Swift and Gruel behind and pressed on solo. Meanwhile, riders from Lidl-Trek and Decathlon-AG2R were pulling in the peloton and reeled in Gruel and Swift. Jonas Vingegaard was spotted far back in the peloton, which was unusual for Vingegaard. Perhaps he was suffering after his crash. His lips were bruised.

The riders reached the Cote d’Arzay climb (category 3) with eighteen kilometers left. Tudor Pro Cycling and Lidl-Trek sent riders to the front of the peloton. Mads Pedersen was working hard to position team captain Mattias Skjelmose as well as possible on the short, but steep climb. The roads were narrow, and spectators were cheering. 

Though some riders were dropped from the peloton on the climb, it did not cause any significant changes. Foss now had a lead of 38 seconds over Mauro Schmid, who had attacked from the peloton. The peloton was 45 seconds back and spearheaded by Movistar riders.

Schmid was caught and the peloton started its preparations for the final climb to the finish line. The category 2 climb would feature sections with gradients of up to 14 percent and was expected to influence the general classification.

Riders were setting a fast pace and the peloton split into multiple groups. Ten kilometers remained.

Visma-Lease a Bike and Ineos-Grenadiers took control at the front of the peloton. Lidl-Trek was also monitoring the front action. Foss was now eight seconds ahead.

Voss was caught with four kilometers left of stage 5. The speed was intense, and Visma-Lease a Bike and Ineos-Grenadiers riders were working hard.

The favorites were still together with one kilometer remaining. UAE Team Emirates took control. Brandon McNulty was pulling.

Vingegaard had been dropped. Skjelmose was also suffering on the climb.

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) was still part of the front group, which now featured approximately ten riders. 

Matteo Jorgenson was now pulling with Magnus Sheffield on his wheel. Vingegaard was reclaiming lost ground further behind. 

Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) attacked in the final meters and won the stage in flying solo fashion. Clement Champoussin finished second, while Matteo Jorgenson completed the stage podium for Team Visma-Lease a Bike.

Florian Lipowitz finished fifth for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Joao Almeida was sixth for UAE Team Emirates, Brandon McNulty seventh for UAE Team Emirates. Magnus Sheffield finished ninth for Ineos-Grenadiers, Aurelien Paret-Peintre was tenth for Decathlon-AG2R, and Julien Alaphilippe eleventh. Vingegaard was sixteenth and Skjelmose seventeenth.

Following the finish, Vingegaard was complaining about pain in his forehead and wrist and appeared weak and affected by his crash in the stage and the cool weather conditions.

Matteo Jorgenson took over the lead in the general classification and now leads ahead of Vingegaard. Lipowitz is third, Joao Almeida fourth, and stage winner Lenny Martinez fifth in the GC. Skjelmose dropped to sixth.

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