Cycling: Olav Kooij once again prevailed against Mads Pedersen in the mass sprint. With third place, Pascal Ackermann can look forward to his first top result in his new team.
Kooij wins ahead of Pedersen and Ackermann
Olav Kooij (Visma – Lease a Bike) has definitively arrived among the top sprinters. The Dutchman also won the fifth stage of Paris-Nice. He once again beat Mads Pedersen (Lidl – Trek) in the mass sprint, just as he did at the start of this tour. Pascal Ackermann (Israel – Premier-Tech) completed the podium . This marks the German's first top-three result with his new team. The undulating 193,5-kilometer stage from Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut to Sisteron saw no changes in the general classification, meaning Luke Plapp (Jayco – AlUla) retains the yellow jersey.
Lotto – Dsnty goes full attack
Initially, six, later eight, riders dominated the race in the breakaway group. Pierre Latour (Total Energies), Sandy Dujardin (Total Energies), Alexis Gougeard (Cofidis), Dries de Bondt (Decathlon – Ag2r), Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar), and Mathijs Paaschens (Lotto – Dstny) were joined by Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) and Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny). This turned the sextet into an octet. After their captain, Arnaud de Lie (Lotto – Dstny), abandoned the race, the Belgian team went on the offensive. However, with several sprinters still in the peloton behind them, the group had no chance of winning the stage.
La fusee Olav Kooij! Déjà vainqueur de la 1re étape au sprint, the Néerlandais remet ça sur la 5e en faisant parler sa speed dans les rues de Sisteron.
☀️ Suivez #ParisNice en intégralité sur Eurosport with #LesRP pic.twitter.com/3bZYFyCaEf
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) March 7, 2024