This Sunday 9th of March, Intermarché-Wanty started Paris-Nice on the attack thanks to Taco van der Hoorn, who was part of the breakaway of the day.
From the start of the race to the sun, which was given in Perray-en-Yvelines, the Dutchman escaped in the company of two other riders. This is the second time in two races, after Le Samyn, that Taco showed himself in the lead of the race.
Despite his efforts, the breakaway and the bonus sprint located on a climb 10 kilometers before the finish could not avoid the expected bunch sprint. Local rider Hugo Page finished seventeenth in his first sprint of the season, which was won by Tim Merlier.
“I wanted to start this Paris-Nice in the breakaway, because there was a chance to keep the mountain jersey for a couple of days. However, my two breakaway companions had a more explosive rider profile than me, so the polkadot jersey was out of reach. In addition, the peloton never allowed us to increase our advantage so there was no chance on winning the stage. I managed to execute our plans, but this time without a result. But I’m already thinking of the next opportunities, with a good shape and more classics to come, such as the GP de Denain in which I hope to shine.”
