The 2025 edition of Paris-Nice started with a blast in Le Perray-en-Yvelines on Sunday, March 9. Nicknamed The Race to the Sun, Paris-Nice marks the arrival of Spring and the beginning of the stage racing season in Europe. The eight-stage race will see the cyclists in the professional peloton travel south towards warmer climate conditions and conclude with a challenging mountain stage near Nice on Sunday, March 16.

The stage 1 roundtrip from Le Perray-en-Yvelines and back was designed by race organizer A.S.O. as a 156.1-kilometer ride in virtually flat terrain, though the stage included three minor Category 3 bumps. The stage profile was expected to appeal to sprinters in the professional cycling peloton, including Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep), Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility), Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-Alula), and Mads Pedersen (Team Lidl-Trek). Former World Champion Julian Alaphilippe appeared smiling and in high spirits at the start while wearing his new Team Tudor Pro Cycling kit.

A trio established the early breakaway of the day. The group featured Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty), Alexandre Delettre (Team TotalEnergies), and Samuel Fernandez (Team Caja Rural-Seguros). The group formed a two-minute time advantage, but were kept on a tight leash by the chasing peloton, which did not want to leave anything to chance in today’s stage.

All three breakaway hopefuls had been reeled in by the main peloton with fifty kilometers remaining. The sprinter teams were spearheading the peloton together with riders from the teams with general classification ambitions.

The speed had increased, and four riders crashed at a road works site. Red-and-white barriers brought down Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek), Joshua Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers), Samuel Watson (Ineos-Grenadiers), and not least Magnus Sheffield (Ineos-Grenadiers). All riders got back on their bikes. Attention was required on the narrow roads through forest terrain and small villages. 

Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) attacked near the top of the final Category Three climb of the stage and Matteo Jorgenson countered for Team Visma-Lease a Bike). Jorgenson was the first to reach the top of the climb, followed by Alaphilippe and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). The other riders caught up and twenty fast kilometers remained.

Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) attacked with other riders with ten kilometers remaining. They were sprinting for bonus seconds that could prove valuable in the general classification. Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates) won the intermediate sprint ahead of Matteo Jorgenson and Magnus Sheffield, who had recovered from his crash earlier in the stage.

Stefan Küng attacked for Groupama-FDJ with eight kilometers left. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Joshua Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers), and Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling) countered.

Team Visma-Lease a Bike riders were setting a fast pace in the peloton to reel in Skjelmose, Tarling, and Trentin before it was too late. The strong trio was caught with 2.3 kilometers remaining.

Riders took to the front to create the perfect lead-outs for their respective sprinters.

Tim Merlier was spotted near the front as was Mads Pedersen.

Soudal-QuickStep riders created the perfect lead-out for sprint ace Tim Merlier, while Mads Pedersen got locked in during the sprint. 

Tim Merlier won stage 1 of Paris-Nice 2025 ahead of Arnaud Demare (Arkea-B & B Hotels) and Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling Team). 

“It is always nice to start a stage race with a victory,” Merlier explained to Roadcycling.com after the finish. “The start of the race was really nervous, but we tried to organize the race and close the gaps, and, in the end, I received a perfect lead-out from my teammates.” 

“I’m on the same level as I was last year, I believe,” Merlier added. “I try to win as many races as possible and we will see what will happen in the coming stages. I hope the weather won’t be too cold.”

Merlier leads the general classification ahead of Demare and Jhonatan Narvaez before tomorrow’s stage 2 of Paris-Nice 2025. Stage 2 will invite the fastest men in the peloton to an additional sprint battle in flat terrain. The stage will take the riders 183.9-kilometers from Montesson to Bellegarde.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for complete coverage from Paris-Nice 2025.