Tim Merlier Wins Paris-Nice Stage 1, Claims Yellow Jersey
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) claimed victory in the opening stage of Paris-Nice 2025, securing the race leader's yellow jersey. The Belgian sprinter finished well clear of the field in Le Perray-en-Yvelines, with Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) rounding out the podium.
The stage was marked by aggressive racing, with Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Matteo Jorgensen (Visma | Lease a Bike) animating the race on the climbs. Despite several breakaway attempts, the peloton remained largely intact heading into the final kilometres.
Soudal Quick-Step expertly positioned Merlier for the final sprint, with Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) winning the intermediate sprint earlier in the day, signalling his general classification ambitions. Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) and Matteo Trentin (Tudor) launched a late attack but were caught before the final 2km banner. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finished third on the stage, with Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) taking second place.
Merlier's win is his fifth of the season and his second consecutive victory at Paris-Nice. He leads the general classification by four seconds over Démare and Narváez heading into stage two. The race continues tomorrow with a mostly flat stage from Saint-Cyr-l'École to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse.
