Paris-Nice 2018 Stage 1: Démare wins cobbled uphill sprint to take overall lead

Paris-Nice's 1st stage amounts to merely 135 kilometres. The race boils down to a sprint on the punchy cobbled climb to the line. Arnaud Démare wins millimetres ahead of Gorka Izagirre, Christophe Laporte, and Tim Wellens. The French Champion is the first overall leader at Paris-Nice 2018. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 1st stage 2018 Paris-Nice

1. Arnaud Démare (fra)
2. Gorka Izagirre (spa) s.t.
3. Christophe Laporte (fra) s.t.
4. Tim Wellens (bel) s.t.
5. Mike Teunissen (nld) s.t.
6. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) s.t.
7. Patrick Konrad (aut) + 0.02
8. Dylan Teuns (bel) s.t.
9. Matteo Trentin (ita) s.t.
10. Ion Izagirre (spa) s.t.

GC after the 1st stage
1. Arnaud Démare (fra)
2. Gorka Izagirre (spa) + 0.04
3. Christophe Laporte (fra) + 0.06
4. Tim Wellens (bel) + 0.10
5. Mike Teunissen (nld) s.t.
6. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) s.t.
7. Patrick Konrad (aut) + 0.12
8. Dylan Teuns (bel) s.t.
9. Matteo Trentin (ita) s.t.
10. Ion Izagirre (spa) s.t.

11. Tony Gallopin (fra) s.t.
13. Robert Gesink (nld) s.t.
14. Simon Yates (gbr) s.t.
16. Esteban Chaves (col) s.t.
17. Daniel Martin (irl) s.t.
19. Roman Kreuziger (cze) s.t.
21. Luis León Sánchez (spa) s.t.
22. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.
24. Marc Soler (spa) s.t.
28. Sergio Henao (col) s.t.
33. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
50. Warren Barguil (fra) + 0.44
68. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 1.29
80. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 1.48
153. Rui Costa (por) + 17.33

Race report
Paris-Nice starts under wet and grey skies. Jürgen Roelandts, Pierre-Luc Périchon and Pierre Rolland can’t be bothered and they race to a maximum lead of more than 3 minutes. Tejay van garderen hits the deck and the BMC-leader is forced to abandon.

With 13 kms remaining the attackers are reeled in before Alexis Vuillermoz opens the finale at the foot of the last climb. He is caught on the straight and cobbled run-in to the line. Gorka Izagirre overhauls him, but in the dying metres of the race three more riders draw even with the Basque. Arnaud Démare is declared winner with Izagirre in second, Christophe Laporte in third, and Tim Wellens in fourth.

Due to a crash just before the finale a number of GC riders lost time. Among them Warren Barguil, Ilnur Zakarin, Jakob Fuglsang, and Rui Costa.