Cyclingflash
After numerous podiums, Max Kanter finally wins first WorldTour race in Paris-Nice

After numerous podiums, Max Kanter finally wins first WorldTour race in Paris-Nice

Max Kanter has finally succeeded in claiming his first WorldTour victory. The German from XDS Astana was the fastest in the sprint of the second stage of Paris-Nice, ahead of Laurence Pithie and Jasper Stuyven. The finale was also marked by Daan Hoole, but his attack attempt stalled in the final kilometer.

The opening stage featured a fairly tough finale, but Monday was clearly set for a bunch sprint. The second stage of Paris-Nice was indeed the flattest stage of the week. From Épône, heading southeast, the riders made their way to Montargis, crossing the plains of the Gâtinais. There were a few hills in the first 145 kilometers, but after that it was completely flat toward the finish line.

New stage, same names in the attack
Not surprisingly, there was little enthusiasm for an early breakaway, but four riders still tempted fate by launching an attack. The two main protagonists from yesterday were also active today. King of the Mountains Casper Pedersen went in search of extra points for his polka dot jersey and was once again accompanied by Mathis Le Berre. They were joined by Jasha Sütterlin and Mattéo Vercher.

This was, however, short-lived, as Sütterlin was quickly reeled back in by the peloton. Vercher stayed away slightly longer, but after a lead-out for his teammate Le Berre on the flanks of the Côte des Mesnuls – the first climb of the day – his effort was also finished. Pedersen claimed full points on this ascent, further extending his lead in the mountains classification.

Pedersen scores well, Ayuso collects seconds
The two remaining breakaway riders were not caught yet, as there were still some mountain points up for grabs. On the Côte de Villeconin and Côte du Pressoir, they battled again for points, with the faster Pedersen coming out on top each time. This was also his last action, as after the Côte du Pressoir the Dane and his French companion were caught.

This seemed to signal a long and uneventful run-in to a sprint, but with just over fifty kilometers to go the nerves in the peloton visibly increased. At 46 kilometers from the finish, there was a crucial intermediate sprint offering ten, six, and four bonus seconds. In this intense sprint, Vito Braet outpaced Luke Lamperti.

Crash involving Bol and Van den Berg, Hoole on the attack
The Belgian joined the American in taking the provisional overall lead. Also notable: the alert Juan Ayuso came through third at the intermediate sprint, picking up four extra seconds. After this sprint intermezzo, calm appeared to return, but only briefly, as the peloton was shaken by a crash involving Cees Bol, Marijn van den Berg, and Phil Bauhaus among others.

Fortunately, the fallen riders were able to continue and rejoin the peloton, but this was a prelude to a rather nervous finale. This was partly due to an acceleration by Daan Hoole, who launched a surprise attack in an effort to catch the sprinters off guard. The peloton, however, sensed the danger and kept the lead of the strong rider from Decathlon CMA CGM under control.

Hoole’s attempt fails in the final kilometer
The powerful Hoole was not discouraged, shifted up a gear, and pushed the peloton to its limits. Entering the last ten kilometers, his gap had grown to nearly half a minute. This seemed insufficient to stay clear, yet Hoole held out remarkably long. Only at the start of the final kilometer was the Dutchman finally brought back to order.

And so the stage ultimately ended in a sprint. In the very chaotic final kilometer, there was frantic jostling for the best positions, but amid all the chaos Max Kanter kept his composure. The German launched his sprint from an ideal position, timed his effort perfectly, and relegated Laurence Pithie and Jasper Stuyven to the minor podium places. The 28-year-old Kanter crossed the line with a primal scream: after countless runner-up finishes, he finally struck at the WorldTour level.

Watch here the finish and winning sprint of Max Kanter:

In the general classification, Sunday’s stage winner Luke Lamperti is still in the lead. Braet follows as second, on the same time, but the standings will be shaken up tomorrow. Tuesday features a team time trial of over 23 kilometers on the program.