Paris - Nice 2023: Pogacar wins Queen Stage to cement lead

foto: Cor VosDavid Gaudu, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar battle it out in the last kilometres of the Queen Stage. The yellow jersey outsprints his rivals to extend his lead in the general classification. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 7th stage Paris-Nice 2023

1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. David Gaudu (fra) + 0.02
3. Jonas Vingegaard (den) + 0.06
4. Simon Yates (gbr) + 0.19
5. Neilson Powless (usa) + 0.24
6. Gino Mäder (swi) + 0.28
7. Romain Bardet (fra) + 0.30
8. Pavel Sivakov (fra) + 0.38
9. Matteo Jorgenson (usa) s.t.
10. Pierre Latour (fra) + 0.53

GC after stage 7
1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. David Gaudu (fra) + 0.12
3. Jonas Vingegaard (den) + 0.58
4. Simon Yates (gbr) + 1.27
5. Gino Mäder (swi) + 1.59
6. Neilson Powless (usa) + 2.20
7. Romain Bardet (fra) + 2.22
8. Matteo Jorgenson (usa) + 2.32
9. Pavel Sivakov (fra) + 3.08
10. Pierre Latour (fra) + 3.17

Race report
Lilian Calmejane and Javier Romo jump off the front after 15 kilometres. Nils Politt is the first rider to close the gap before Larry Warbasse, Florian Sénéchal, Brent Van Moer, Hugo Houle, Søren Kragh Andersen, Arnaud Démare, Dorian Godon, Kelland O’Brien, Josh Tarling and Pascal Eenkhoorn bridge across also.

The action is not done just yet. While Arnaud Démare gets dropped, Lucas Hamilton and Remi Cavagna join the attackers at kilometre 40. Gregor Mühlberger, Harry Sweeny, Daan Hoole, Kobe Goossens and David de la Cruz are the last riders to make it into the break of the day.

The lead group reaches the summit of the Côte de Tourette-du-Château 2.15 minutes ahead of the peloton. Eenkhoorn takes most KOM points, while Tarling crashes in the descent and the young Welshmen is forced to give up.

Politt, Eenkhoorn, Cabot, Goossens and Romo head out with five in the run-up to the finish climb before Goossens goes alone at the foot. Romo regains contact.

Martínez is the first GC rider to lose contact in the climb, while Goossens is the last attacker to be reeled in with 9 kilometres to go.

Harper striks 6.4 kilometres before the line. Vingegaard closes the gap before Pogacar accelerates. Vingegaard, Gaudu, Bardet and Jorgenson go after the yellow jersey.

Gaudu and Vingegaard rejoin Pogacar inside the last 4 kilometres.

An acceleration by Gaudu and Vingegaard is dropped, but the Dane comes clawing back. The three remain together until Vingegaard opens the sprint with 150 metres to go. Pogacar counters and sprints to the stage win, 2 seconds ahead of Gaudu with Vingegaard 4 seconds further behind.

Another interesting read: route 7th stage Paris-Nice 2023.