Paris-Nice: Pedersen wins stage 2 and leads ahead of Pogacar

The Dane from Trek-Segafredo won the bunch sprint after 163.7 kilometres from Bazainville to Fontainebleau ahead of Dutchman Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and compatriot Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education EasyPost).

>> Paris-Nice 2023: All stages at a glance

Paris-Nice: Pedersen takes the overall lead

Pedersen thus also took the overall lead with a two-second advantage over two-time Tour de France champion Pogacar, who won the intermediate sprint and, as on the previous day, collected six bonus seconds. The 24-year-old Slovenian had already announced that he would use every opportunity to attack.

After all, Pogacar is likely to lose some time to his great rival Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) in the team time trial on Tuesday. The Tour de France champion from Denmark and his outstanding team are clear favourites in the battle against the clock over 32.2 kilometres in Dampierre-en-Burly.

New format in the team time trial at Paris-Nice

There will be an innovation in the regulations: the time of the fourth-best rider of a team will no longer be taken, but the exact time at which the individual riders cross the finish line will be measured. The long-distance race ends on Sunday in Nice.

Paris-Nice 2023: Stage 2 result

1st Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 3:28:57

2nd Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) +0:00

3rd Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education EasyPost) +0:00

4th Daniel McLay (Arkea-Samsic) +0:00

5th Lionel Taminiaux (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:00

6th Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:00

7th Marijn van den Berg (EF Education EasyPost) +0:00

8th Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan Team) +0:00

9th Alexis Renard (Cofidis) +0:00

10th Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) +0:00

Paris-Nice: The overall standings

1st Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 7:19:35

2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +0:02

3rd Tim Merlier (Soudal - Quick Step) +0:04

4th Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) +0:08

5th Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:08

6th Michael Matthews (Team Jayco-AlUla) +0:10

7th Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education EasyPost) +0:10

8th Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) +0:10

9th Dorian Godon (AG2R-Citroën Team) +0:12

10th Nathan van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) +0:12

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