Paris-Nice race organizer A.S.O. had chosen mountainous terrain for the final stage of this year’s Paris-Nice. Stage 8 of Paris-Nice 2025 would take the riders on a 119.9-kilometer trip from Nice and across three Category One climbs, before returning to Nice. The stage route featured the Col de la Porte, the Cote de Peille, and the Col des Quatre Chemins, so an exciting battle was expected on the roads of Southern France.

Matteo Jorgenson remained general classification leader for Team Visma-Lease a Bike ahead of Sunday’s final stage. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was in second place, 37 seconds behind the American race leader, while Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers) was now third, following Skjelmose’s race exit. Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) had suffered a serious crash in the penultimate stage and abandoned the race with injuries to his back, hip and knee.

The weather conditions in Nice were sunny with fifteen degrees Celsius. The temperatures would, however, be much colder in the mountain sections of the stage to come.

The race got off to a fast start and the riders left Nice for the final battle of this year’s Paris-Nice.

Mads Pedersen attacked just a few kilometers after the start. The Lidl-Trek rider had been unstoppable in this race and had not lost his courage after teammate Mattias Skjelmose’s crash and race exit. Pedersen was hoping for a stage victory and an advancement in the general classification of this year’s Paris-Nice, before returning to his home in Switzerland. Pedersen, however, was caught by the chasing peloton a few kilometers later.

Additional attack efforts were launched in the following kilometers.

When 86 kilometers remained, Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates), Mads Pedersen, and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) tried their luck. Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull – Bora - Hansgrohe) and Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) joined the fun.

Remi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), and Thomas Gachignard (Team TotalEnergies) tried to bridge the gap to the frontmen but failed.

Breakaway participant Pedersen left the other riders behind on Col de la Porte. He was reeled in when 71 kilometers remained. Several riders had been dropped from the main peloton on the Col de la Porte.

Mads Pedersen was again in front on the descent and Harold Tejada also attacked. But the Ineos-Grenadiers-led main peloton was not far behind. The racing speed was intense, and the corners were dangerous.

Pedersen showed very courageous riding on the descent. His powerful and energetic riding style caused him to increase his lead to more than one minute on the descent. What an impressive effort from the leader of the Paris-Nice points competition. 

Tejada had been caught by the peloton, which was spearheaded by Ineos-Grenadiers riders.

Mads Pedersen was the first rider to enter the Cote de Peille (Category One; 6.7 km; 6.7%). He was still leading the stage by more than a minute.

Alexandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) attacked from the main peloton on the Cote de Peille. He was hoping to make the leap to sole frontman Pedersen. Meanwhile, more riders were dropped from the main peloton.

Ben O’Connor (Jayco-Alula) joined Vlasov, and the duo continued chasing Pedersen, but they were caught.

Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) attacked from the main peloton and other GC favorites responded immediately. Matteo Jorgenson was present in his yellow race leader jersey as were Vlasov, Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers), Magnus Sheffield (Ineos-Grenadiers), Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale), Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ), Tejada, and Clement Champoussin.

Solo breakaway frontman Pedersen had an advantage of just twelve seconds when five hundred meters of the Col de Peille remained.

Gall and Vlasov joined Pedersen. The many kilometers in a solo attack effort had been tough for the Great Dane.

Magnus Sheffield attacked from the main peloton for Ineos-Grenadiers. He was fighting hard to bridge the gap to the front trio on the Col d’Eze and succeeded. 

General classification leader Matteo Jorgenson impressively attacked solo to make it to the front quartet. What a courageous effort.

Mads Pedersen won the intermediate sprint at the top of Col d’Eze and thereby took sufficient points to secure the overall win in the points competition. 

Pedersen and Sheffield charged on with Jorgenson, Vlasov and Gall chasing ten seconds behind when sixteen kilometers remained. The Col des Quatre Chemins (Category One; 3.6 km; 8.8 km) awaited the riders. Sections were more than sixteen percent.

Sheffield left Pedersen behind at the start of the climb. Jorgenson was chasing ten seconds behind with Vlasov and Gall.

Lipowitz crashed in the reduced main peloton group when he hit the curbstone while climbing at slow speed and looking back at the same time.

Sheffield was solo in front when ten kilometers of the stage remained. One climbing kilometer remained. Felix Gall was sixteen seconds behind with Jorgenson. 

Magnus Sheffield (USA) was the first rider to reach the top of the final climb. Jorgenson and Gall crossed the top eighteen seconds later. The reduced main peloton was more than one minute behind at this point.

A dangerous and fast eight-kilometer descent into Nice now awaited the riders. This stretch would decide the outcome of the stage.

Jorgenson caught Gall on the descent and was fourteen seconds behind Sheffield with two kilometers left before he would reach the finish line.

Magnus Sheffield was the first rider to enter the final kilometer. He would not get caught by the chasers. The rider from the United States won the final stage of Paris-Nice 2025 for his Ineos-Grenadiers team. Fellow countryman Matteo Jorgenson finished second for Team Visma-Lease a Bike. Felix Gall completed the stage podium for Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale. Excellent results for USA in this race.

Matteo Jorgenson wins the general classification of Paris-Nice 2025. He also won last year’s edition of the race. Florian Lipowitz finished second in the GC for Team Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe, 01:15 minutes behind the winner. Thymen Arensman took third for Ineos-Grenadiers, 01:58 minutes back. Magnus Sheffield finished fourth in the GC, Michael Storer was fifth, and Joao Almeida sixth.

“This is a relief more than anything - a lot of stress coming off now,” race winner Matteo Jorgenson told Roadcycling.com. “I’ve been thinking about this week for the past four months. I must credit my team because I’ve been so well-supported this week. Everyone was committed from stage one,” Jorgeson explained.

“Magnus (Sheffield) and I were on the same junior team together and I am happy to see him and a fellow American win the stage today. I was suffering in the cold weather yesterday and I have possibly become too skinny. Now I can sleep for the next week here in Nice,” Jorgenson said smilingly. 

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