Paris-Nice 2024: Mattias Skjelmose clinches pulsating Stage 6 win, Brandon McNulty takes GC lead

Mattias Skjelmose won a pulsating Stage 6 of Paris-Nice, as the Lidl-Trek rider produced a masterful performance in the cold and wet conditions to top the podium.

UAE-Team Emirates rider Brandon McNulty came second over the line to retake the GC lead ahead of Luke Plapp, while Matteo Jorgenson completed the top three on the day.

Jorgenson moved up into second on GC at 23 seconds adrift, while Plapp dropped down to third at 34 seconds behind McNulty in the overall standings.

This stage saw riders make the journey between Sisteron and La Colle-sur-Loup in difficult conditions on a gruelling stage of the race.

Plapp wore the race leader’s jersey at the start and his Jayco AlUla team-mates could not focus all their efforts on the Australian’s defence of the lead, with Santiago Buitrago and McNulty in second and third respectively.

The increasingly challenging conditions meant it took their toll, none more so than on Plapp, who struggled and ended up finishing down in a disappointing 11th.

McNulty looked like taking the win as the race entered its closing stages, before Skjelmose launched his sprint assault late on.

Speaking after his stage victory, Skjelmose told Eurosport: “I was feeling quite good all day and the team worked perfectly for me. When the team works like this, it minimises all the luck you need.

“Either Remco [Evenepoel] or Primosz [Roglic] or one of the guys high up in the GC were closing, but then I tried to pull a little bit and they let me go. I went few metres and then I just went off.

“Brandon then joined me and then we closed on Matteo [Jorgenson].

“I love to race in France, especially in this area; it’s the first [win] of the year for me and it’s always a special one.”

Skjelmose’s win leaves the Dane fourth in the GC standings, and while he believes he still has a chance of taking the overall race win, the result left him with some mixed emotions.

“There have been bigger miracles than if I win Paris-Nice,” he added. “But I think the other guys were stronger than me today.

“It was a bit of a weird way to win because I played on me being lower down in the GC and them having such a big gap on me.

“It’s not the nicest way to win.”