Alexander Kristoff wins Paris-Nice stage one
Alexander Kristoff continues winning streak with victory on stage one of Paris-Nice as Michal Kwiatkowski retains overall lead. Photos by Graham Watson


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Norwegian Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) won the bunch sprint at the end of stage one of Paris-Nice in France on Monday.
Kristoff out-paced home favourites Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) and Bryan Coquard (Europcar) to take his fifth win of the season. British sprinter Ben Swift (Sky) finished ninth.
Prologue winner Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-QuickStep) retained the overall race lead, tied on the same time with Rohan Dennis (BMC) in second. Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickSTep) is third at seven seconds. Geraint Thomas (Sky) gained a one second time bonus during the day's final intermediate sprint and sits in 10th overall, 13 seconds behind Kwiatkowski.
The frenetic bunch sprint came at the end of a slow day. Jonathan Hivert (Bretagne-Séché Environnement) was the first rider to attack out of Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, cresting the opening climb of the Cote de Bel Air out front to grab the King of the Mountains jersey. Hivert continued out front alone until he'd also taken maximum points at the day's first intermediate sprint, and was then caught by the peloton.
Australian sprinter Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) put himself in second spot in that first intermediate sprint to grab two bonus seconds - which would help his position on GC.
Hivert's Bretagne team-mate Anthony Delaplace was the next to attack after Hivert was scooped up by the peloton. He was joined by fellow Frenchman Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), and the two built up a lead of over five minutes as the peloton was content to take it steady. The duo's time gap over the bunch reached its maximum of just over six minutes at the 100km point.
Voeckler and Delaplace were allowed to continue unchallenged as the peloton continued its leisurely pace. As the French pair hit the 20km to go mark, Voeckler upped the pace, with Delaplace matching him and their gap extended to over two minutes again - creating a bit more urgency in the peloton's chase.
That urgency almost turned to panic in the final five kilometres, as Voeckler and Delaplace continued to forge ahead out front. A variety of the sprinters' team joined forces to make the catch with two kilometres to go.
On what was otherwise an uneventful day, Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep) was forced to abandon the race after crashing and suffering a suspected broken collarbone, potentially wrecking his classics season before it started.
Results
Paris-Nice 2015 stage one: Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse to Contres, 196.5km
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
2. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ
3. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Europcar
4. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
5. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek
6. Joe Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar
7. Moreno Hofland (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
8. Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Lampre-Merida
9. Ben Swift (GBr) Sky
10. Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge all same time
Other
22. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky
Overall classification after stage one
1. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx-QuickStep in 5-22-58
2. Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC at same time
3. Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx-QuickStep at 7 secs
4. John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Alpecin at 9 secs
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Astana at 10 secs
6. Lars Boom (Ned) Astana at 10 secs
7. Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge at 10 secs
8. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling at 10 secs
9. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin at 13 secs
10. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky at 13 secs
Other
12. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky at 15 secs
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
Cycling keeps you fit but are you doing enough to stay healthy?
It’s possible to be very fit in one specific way, for example being fast on a bike, while being unhealthy in other ways
By Joe Laverick Published
-
Dr Hutch: Motor-doping isn't rife, there's no way cyclists would use it discreetly enough
Some fans think that motor-doping is rife, but Cycling Weekly's columnist Dr Hutch is having none of it
By Michael Hutchinson Published
-
Closing the gap: David Gaudu emerges from Paris-Nice more confident than ever before
The Groupama-FDJ rider finished second overall at the Race to the Sun, but gained more than just the result
By Adam Becket Published
-
Goodbye lime: We need to talk about the Tour de France green jersey
There's change afoot at ASO's French races, with the combativity colour also undergoing a revamp
By Adam Becket Last updated
-
Andrei Kivilev remembered 20 years on from his death at Paris-Nice
Kazakh rider’s death during 2003 edition led to helmets being made obligatory in racing
By Peter Cossins Published
-
Paris-Nice just first step on the road to Tour de France redemption for Tadej Pogačar
The UAE Team Emirates rider might have won the Race to the Sun but he is not taking anything for granted
By Adam Becket Published
-
Lefevere suggests UCI is 'short of cash' after fining Alaphilippe
Soudal Quick-Step rails against the ruling body after his French team leader is penalised for removing his helmet while racing
By Peter Cossins Published
-
Big two becomes big three as Gaudu joins Pogačar and Vingegaard at Paris-Nice
Tadej Pogačar might have won again, but it was close, and David Gaudu could yet win Paris-Nice
By Adam Becket Published
-
'It's likely to be very dangerous' - Inside Paris-Nice stage six, the race that never was
Friday's stage was first shortened to 80km, then called off completely thanks to "exceptionally violent winds"
By Adam Becket Published
-
‘Second is not bad but it’s the victories that count’ - Olav Kooij gets revenge at Paris-Nice
Jumbo-Visma rider overhauls Pedersen in reversal of stage two fortunes
By Vern Pitt Published