Paris-Nice stage 7 live – GC battle continues on modified stage

Evenepoel stops after no separation was found. Vlasov counter attacks for Bora-Hansgrohe and he’s allowed some advantage starting the day 2:42 off the lead. 

Remco Evenepoel attacks! He’s made his move and decided now is the moment. He’s got Jorgenson and McNulty on his wheel with Skjelmose closing down behind with the rest of the GC favourites. 

Here’s a look back at the moment Bernal and De Plus moved to the lead ahead of the intermediate sprint. 

5KM TO GO

We’re 9 kilometres into the climb and the front group remains slightly in tact with most of the team leaders still present. Evenepoel is sat in third wheel with Bernal between him and his teammate. 

Van Wilder has taken over again at the front of the peloton with De Plus done for the day. Großshcartner is waiting behind for Almeida. 

Steff Cras (TotalEnergies) and Almeida dropped out the back.

Bernal goes for it with Van Wilder and Evenepoel chasing. It’s six seconds gained for the Colombian with Van Wilder taking four, unable to close him before the line and Evenepoel only getting two. 

300 metres until the sprint now with no one going for it yet. 

It’s still De Plus setting the pace with the intermediate sprint and bonus seconds approaching. 

With Vervaeke’s pull done, Ineos have taken over with Laurens De Plus working for Egan Bernal. Evenepoel has been shuffled back to fifth wheel with Buitrago also looking dangerous. 

Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) is sat in his favourite place of a leading group – the back. Don’t be surprised if he appears from nowhere later in the climb.

10KM TO GO

Here’s what the majority of the climb has looked like in the first 5km with Evenepoel sat in the wings and following his two remaining teammates. 

The lead group has stabilised somewhat with Vervaeke still on the front. Expect more to drop when Van Wilder takes over on this wonderful section of hairpins up the Madone d’Utelle. 

We’re around 5km from the important intermediate sprint at Utelle where bonus seconds will be eagerly fought by those chasing the GC lead. 

Cattaneo has already dropped from his teammates’ infernal pace, with Vervaeke on the front now. Van Wilder will be the last man in front of Evenepoel before he inevitably makes his big strike. 

All the big guns are there with Jorgenson sat closest behind Evenepoel. McNulty is just behind his compatriot with a teammate and Roglic, Skjelmose and Buitrago are also sat waiting for the attacks to fly. 

Soudal-QuickStep accelerate for Evenepoel with Jacobs now caught and the real racing starting now. It’s thinning out already in the bunch. 

Jacobs is just 15 seconds in front with the pace significantly picked up behind now. 

15KM TO GO

Jay Vine has dropped already which isn’t good news for McNulty and UAE Team Emirates. 

We’re seeing a view of miserable conditions at the finish line. This is going to be a tough 15km slog in rough conditions. 

It’s a drag race to the foot of the climb with Pedersen sprinting on the front to put Skjelmose into prime position. The race is ready to explode into life!

They have paced for most of today’s 104km stage, but will Soudal-QuickStep take up the mantle of setting the pace on the final climb? Remember Evenepoel started the day 1:03 down on McNulty in the lead, so he needs to take time back if he is to score overall victory after tomorrow. 

Jacobs has 4km until he hits the foot of the final climb with a 33 seconds gap to the peloton now. 

20KM TO GO

UAE Team Emirates have moved to the front of the peloton with the race leader Brandon McNulty sat in the train. 

It seems to have calmed down with riders going back to the cars including Evenepoel himself for final drinks and nature breaks. It’s all about the final climb now. 

There’s riders from Bora, Ineos and UAE in the second group on the road, but the rain jackets are making identification slightly harder. 

Just as I typed that, there is a split in the peloton – who has missed out? 

Still full gas at the front of the peloton despite the conditions. QuickStep and Visma working very hard on the front with splits looking possible behind. 

30KM TO GO

Lampaert and Evenepoel are closely sticking together at the front of the peloton. Riders still hitting 70km/h even on the wet downhill roads, Lampaert looking brilliant. 

There’s a few kilometres of descending on the still picturesque Alpes-Maritimes roads, with difficult wet roads to navigate for Jacobs in front and the peloton behind.  

Thomas has dropped and it’s now only Jacobs at the head of the race. The peloton is just 30 seconds behind but this ride should grant the Swiss man the combativity prize and a trip to the podium at the end of the stage. 

Here’s a look at the final climb of the day – La Madone d’Utelle – which we are just under 25km from the foot of now. The steepest kilometres average close to 7% and will be the best chance to attack.

Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) is out the back of the peloton in a small chasing group. He’ll be a big miss for Egan Bernal come the final. 

40KM TO GO

Tejada has two teammates around him but is still a minute down on the peloton and has some work to do to get through the convoy. 

Yves Lampaert is leading the chase on the front for now with the gap down to 40 seconds from the breakaway. 

Soudal-QuickStep in full formation for Remco Evenepoel at the front of the peloton. Conditions seem to only be getting worse out on the road. 

Harold Tejada has stopped for a front wheel puncture and change. He started the day in ninth after a very strong opening six days of racing and will want to be back in the peloton quickly to contest the finale. 

50KM TO GO

Here’s another look at the two riders braving the conditions in the day’s breakaway – Benjamin Thomas and Johan Jacobs.

Conditions are very tough out there with riders such as Finn Fisher-Black even dropping out the back. He could be very important for race leader McNulty come the final climb, so will want to get back into the peloton without expending too much energy. 

60KM TO GO

Soudal-QuickStep and Visma-Lease a Bike have taken over control at the front of the peloton from Ineos as the peloton navigated a slightly treacherous wet section of descending. 

Average speed for today is just under 40km/h on a cold and wet stage so far.

Not much you can do in the break if Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) are part of the peloton working to chase you down. 

Leemreize’s time in front is also over. Just Thomas and Jacobs remain in the break, 1:20 ahead of the chasing peloton.

70KM TO GO

The race is heading west for the next few kilometres before turning back on itself and heading towards the final climb which will decide the day. 

Ineos Grenadiers are once again working on the front to keep the gap tight, it currently sits at 1:10.

A mechanical for Dujardin dropped him back into the peloton and Van Moer and Tusveld are also back in. Only Leemreize is still in pursuit of Thomas and Jacobs now. 

80KM TO GO

Evenepoel wrapped up and ready for the rain.

With his two DSM-Firmenich PostNL teammates successfully up the road in the break, Timo Roosen has also abandoned the race. 

Could today be the day for Matteo Jorgenson to take victory? The young American has impressed massively since joining Visma-Lease a Bike and was brilliant on the attack yesterday. He sits second overall behind McNulty.

Matteo Jorgenson ‘in the position I wanted to be in’ chasing Paris-Nice win

It is looking pretty cold, wet and miserable out there – typical Paris-Nice March weather. 

Full bike change for Tusveld out of the leading trio. Thankfully for him, he has Leemreize in the chasing second group on the road. They are two of DSM’s three remaining riders at Paris-Nice after Fabio Jakobsen and most of his leadout train abandoned the race. 

90KM TO GO

Tusveld has suffered an untimely mechanical and been left behind by Thomas and Jacobs.

Thomas swept up the maximum five KOM points but this won’t threaten Burgaudeau’s hold of the polka-dot mountains jersey. He leads that competition by ten points from Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan). 

The categorised portion of the climb has been completed, but it’s relatively uphill for the next 20km of racing. If the three men chasing can make it a group of six at the front of the race, they should be able to build a solid gap. 

Here’s the three men braving the cold and rain at the start of stage 7. There are three riders in pursuit – Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies), Brent Van Moer (Lotto Dstny), Gijs Leemreize (DSM) – who are 1:05 behind with the peloton a further 45 seconds back. 

Three riders have started the attacks out of the peloton: Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis), Johan Jacobs (Movistar) and Martijn Tusveld (DSM-Firmenich PostNL). They will hit the category 2 climb first with a narrow 10-second advantage. 

100KM TO GO

The race is heading north away from the coast for today’s stage. The first climb is starting soon and should give a breakaway a chance to get up the road. If not, then it will all come down to a GC battle on the mountain finish.

With no more chances for the sprinters, here’s the list of today’s non-starters:
– Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)
– Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla)
– Pascal Ackermann and Rick Zabel (Israel-Premier Tech)  
– Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty) 

104KM TO GO

Official start taken and racing is underway on stage 7 of Paris-Nice!

Here’s Remco Evenepoel from today’s start. He said he made a tactical mistake in the final stages of yesterday’s race despite having good form. Can he make up his 1:03 deficit to McNulty on today’s stage?

If you missed out yesterday, make sure you catch up with our full race report from a thrilling sixth stage at Paris-Nice.

Paris-Nice: Mattias Skjelmose takes stage 6 victory as McNulty returns to race lead

There are only two climbs on the menu for stage 7 with the changes being made, but organisers did ensure this would remain a day for the GC men.

90km to go – Côte de Gattières (4.6 km at 4.7%)
15km to go – La Madone d’Utelle (15.1 km at 5.7%)

Here’s the jersey wearers on stage 7 of Paris-Nice:
Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) in the leader’s yellow jersey
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) in the green points jersey
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) in the best young rider’s white jersey
Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) in the King of the Mountains jersey 

Race Start

Stage 7 of Paris-Nice is underway! Riders are off from the start line in nice on a damp and grey day in Nice.

Here’s Brandon McNulty back in the yellow jersey after his strong performance on stage 6. He leads the overall race 23 seconds ahead of compatriot Matteo Jorgenson after the American pair lit up the finale of yesterday’s stage.

‘Just like in the juniors’ – McNulty back in yellow after lighting up Paris-Nice with Jorgenson

A reminder that today’s route has been modified due to adverse weather in the Alpes-Maritimes department, with snow and ice rendering the climbs supposed to feature today unsafe.

Instead of the Auron finish, stage 7 will now run 104km and finish up the Madone d’Utelle (15.1 km at 5.7%) climb after a relatively easy build-up to the climb.

Paris-Nice: Shorter stage, longer climb as snow forecast forces change to stage 7

We’re just under 10 minutes away from the neutralised roll-out, with the race finally reaching Nice after six days of racing. 

Hello and welcome back to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of Paris-Nice 2024 for stage 7!