00:03The final stage of the 2026 Paris Nice and the torrential downpours that ruined stage 7 gave
00:09way to scenes, which give you a better idea of why this is called the race to the sun. Unlike
00:13many stage races, the final stage of Paris Nice is often fraught with danger. In 2024, Matteo
00:19Jorgensen grabbed overall victory on the last day. Three years earlier, Primoz Roglic had let
00:24it slip away. Jonas Wienergaard has a big lead this year, but he clearly knows his Paris Nice
00:29history.
00:30Our stage is always big fireworks in Paris Nice, so we also expect today to be full gas
00:37racing all day and we just have to be focused now for another 3.5 hours and hopefully we
00:45can bring it home.
00:46There is certain to be a battle raging for the final podium place as Georg Steinhauser and
00:51Kevin Wohlkland are separated by just 19 seconds. After Dorian Godin's win on stage 7, Ineos
00:57Grenadiers are now focused on propelling Wohlkland into third.
01:02We know full well that anything can happen on the last stage of the Paris Nice. We had
01:06difficult conditions yesterday, even though the stage was shortened. I think a lot of
01:10riders are tired, there has been some illness too. It's a route that I know by heart. I
01:14just want to try it.
01:16There was also a prestigious stage win to be had, especially for those teams who have yet
01:20to enjoy the limelight this week. Following his second place on stage 5, Valentin Paré-Pant
01:25was looking to go on better and finish his Paris Nice debut on a high.
01:32I've never done Paris Nice, so this is my first time on this circuit around Nice. I've
01:37been told that it's always a quick race and more a case of coming from behind than winning
01:41it from the front. We'll see how it plays out, but I don't think there will be too many opportunities
01:47for a long breakaway.
01:51So the peloton was set for a nervy day of 129.2 km in the saddle in the hills around
01:57Nice.
01:57It started with the testing Col de la Porte, a 7 km climb at 7% for the other climbs
02:03at Chateauneuf-Villevieille
02:04and the Côte du Languedor, a sapping and steep 3 km climb, after which there will be fewer
02:10than 20 km to ride to the finish.
02:17On a relatively short stage the riders weren't hanging around, Paré-Pant going against his
02:22pre-stage prediction and making an early bid for the win as he summited the Col de la Porte
02:28out in front.
02:30He extended his advantage on the descent too, the Soudal quick-step rider stretching it to
02:3545 seconds over his closest chaser Marc Soler and 1 minute 15 on the peloton.
02:43There was little time to catch their breath before the riders were climbing again, this
02:46time on the Côte du Chateauneuf-Villevieille.
02:49That was the cue for the peloton to make a move and Soler was soon caught with 55 km left.
02:59Vauclain's Ineos Grenadiers taking things in hand as they began to eat into Paré-Pant's
03:04lead.
03:05With Josh Tarling dictating the tempo, the peloton started to splinter.
03:09Nerves were clearly crackling through the group and Danny Martinez, second overall, caught
03:14team-mate Laurence Pithy sending the Colombian crashing to the tarmac.
03:20Up front, Paré-Pant was now just over 20 seconds clear.
03:23Martinez, meanwhile, was still a minute and a half down on the other GC frontrunners, with
03:2850 km remaining.
03:33Wiesma-Lisebay then moved to the front, led by Bruno Amaray, who's been an impressive
03:37adjutant to Wingergaard all week.
03:40Arriving at the top of the second climb of the day, Paré-Pant collected another maximum
03:4410 points to add to the 10 he took on the first climb.
03:47With a total of 27 points of the race, the French rider was just 7 behind Wingergaard,
03:52giving him a real chance of pipping the Dane to the King of the Mountains jersey.
03:56That was only if he could hold on to clear the Cote de Languedoc in front, and that was
04:01far from a given.
04:02His lead was shrinking as the third climb loomed, as Danny Martinez sought to claw his
04:07way back into the peloton.
04:12The Colombian helped by Red Bull Borah-Hansgrohe teammates Pithy and Alexander Vlasov.
04:21With the route mostly downhill before the final climb, Paré-Pant kept the chasers at bay
04:25as the race headed into the last 30km.
04:28It didn't last though, with 23km left to ride, and after going solo for 60km,
04:35Paré-Pant was finally swallowed up.
04:40That meant it was anyone's guess what might happen on the last climb of this year's
04:43Paris-Nice, the Cote de Languedoc.
04:48As the lead group started the climb, Wiesma and Lisebeit were controlling the race.
04:52Clearly Wingergaard had his own ideas on how to handle this potential banana skin of a
04:56last stage, and after Victor Camponards had accelerated, the race leader took off.
05:03Victor Camponards with a big, big acceleration.
05:06Now it's launch time.
05:08The yellow jersey turns the screw, and Lenny Martinez is able to follow Jonas Wingergaard.
05:15The Dane going in pursuit of his first title at Paris-Nice.
05:19And it's the Frenchman Lenny Martinez who's able to follow Wingergaard.
05:23They go into these steep gradients through the left-hand hairpin,
05:27and they're leaving their rivals behind.
05:31Only Lenny Martinez managed to jump onto Wingergaard's wheel.
05:35A Paris-Nice stage winner last year, Martinez had looked strong throughout the week.
05:39It soon became clear only he had the legs to match Wingergaard,
05:43as the group behind, including Steinhauser and Wauklin, lost ground.
05:48As Danny Martinez got back to within a minute following his crash,
05:52the little group, also including stage six winner Tahare and Jon Isagiri,
05:56tried to chase down the two leaders.
06:02But the gap wasn't closing. In fact, it was being stretched,
06:06as Wingergaard passed Martinez at the summit to ensure he would also keep the King of the Mountains jersey.
06:17With ten kilometres left, the leaders had 25 seconds in hand on the chasing group.
06:24That was up to a healthy 40 seconds, with seven kilometres remaining.
06:28The gap did close as the pursuers finally reacted, but it wouldn't be enough to prevent Wingergaard and Martinez going
06:35pedal to pedal for the stage win.
06:40The last section of this course. The final turn will come with 300 metres remaining, and then it will be
06:50a battle for the stage victory.
06:52Now Lenny Martinez takes that left-hand corner. Now he starts to accelerate. Now he starts to make a move.
06:59Jonas Wingergaard is left chasing. Lenny Martinez is looking to try and add a second Paris-Nice victory.
07:06Wingergaard comes close. They come head-to-head. Lenny Martinez makes it back-to-back French winners at Paris-Nice.
07:17Martinez making its successive French wins on the final two days of the 2026 Paris-Nice following Dorian Godin's victory
07:2424 hours earlier.
07:26The Bahrain victorious rider becoming the first Frenchman to win the race's final stage since Artur Vichaud in 2014,
07:33and adding to his win over Wingergaard on the Dauphiné last year.
07:36The promising 22-year-old claiming the 11th win of his career and Bahrain victorious as third of the year.
07:44I've been looking for this win since the start of the season, but to win here ahead of Jonas, having
07:49broken clear on my own with him, makes it even better.
07:52He didn't want to take his turn anymore. That's how it is.
07:56I was a little bit afraid, and when I saw the line, I said to myself, you have to go
08:01for it.
08:01When I launched my sprint, I thought it was a bit far, and I was really afraid he was going
08:05to go past me.
08:06But I didn't give up, and I'm very happy to win today.
08:11Martinez taking a famous stage win, namesake Dani managing to claw back some time too after that crash.
08:17Despite suffering, he arrived only 44 seconds behind the other GC contenders to secure second place behind a delighted Wingergaard.
08:26Today was almost the perfect day. We had a lot of fun today. We raced full gas racing all day,
08:33and finally I'm able to win Paris Nice.
08:38Actually, it means a lot to me. It's been the one that I just couldn't get right, and now finally
08:45I get it right.
08:47That makes me extremely happy. It's a good start to the year, and it's something that I'm really proud of.
08:56He's right to be proud of himself too, though there was slight disappointment on the day for Wingergaard as he
09:01narrowly missed out on the third stage win of this year's race.
09:05Having crashed out in 2025, the Great Dane has dominated the 2026 edition.
09:10His winning margin of 4 minutes and 23 seconds over Martinez, the biggest since 1939.
09:16Second place and 18 points on the final stage was also enough for him to claim the green jersey, pipping
09:21Godon by just three points, with Tejada moving into third ahead of Pithy.
09:27Wingergaard was clearly unknown mood to let the polka-dot jersey escape him either.
09:30That final effort on the Côte de Languedoc, meaning he's also the king of the mountains, ahead of Paris Pant.
09:35At 29, he's too old to win the white jersey as Wingergaard.
09:38Instead, that goes to Steinhauser, who held off Vauclain for that prize as well as third place on the podium
09:44overall, but there were only 17 seconds in it.
09:48So that brings down the curtain on the 2026 Paris-Nice Roll on the Race of the Sun in 2027.
