'Attack and not look back' – Magnus Sheffield takes first WorldTour stage win at Paris-Nice ahead of friend Matteo Jorgenson

What a better place for young US riders Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) to mark success on the final day of Paris-Nice than on the Promenade des Anglais, or the 'English Avenue'. The 22-year-old Ineos rider punched the blue sky above Nice as he took an emphatic stage 8 victory, while 25-year-old Jorgenson trailed 29 seconds later for a runner-up stage finish and a second GC title at the race. 

Though the pair are separated by three years and grew up on opposite sides of the US they experienced the same development path to the WorldTour, riding with the Hot Tubes Development Development Cycling Team, and now both live in the Nice area. While they pursue pro careers on rival WorldTour squads they still share time together on training rides in the off-season on the familiar home roads around Nice.

Now the duo can also share stories about standing together on the stage 8 podium at Paris-Nice, for Sheffield the top step signalling a major career achievement as his first WorldTour-level victory.

"It's just so hard to win any race. It means really so much. The team has always believed in me through the tough times, the same with my family. I just can't thank my family enough for always being there for me," Sheffield told broadcasters after he took the solo win Sunday, his eyes filling with tears and his voice breaking with emotion.

"We were never teammates, but we raced for the same junior team, Hot Tubes. Even Matteo has had his own ups and downs in his career. I think him winning [GC] today it shows what's possible for American cycling and also any young kid wanting to start."

Sheffield was on Ineos' radar when he was a junior and earned a bronze medal for the US in the men's junior road race at the World Championships. He joined the top level of racing with Ineos Grenadiers in 2022, winning a time trial stage at the Tour of Denmark and Vuelta a Andalucia, both 2.Pro level, and winning the 1.Pro De Brabantse Pijl. He also earned medals at US Pro Road Championships, a silver in the elite men's time trial and a bronze in the elite men's road race. 

The next two seasons he took podiums at several WorldTour events, including Tour Down Under, Tirreno-Adriatico, Renewi Tour, Tour de  Romandie and even a third on the 40.6km time trial on stage 7 at the Giro, but the top step was elusive and the hunt deflating.

"I wanted to do the best I could in the GC. I've been preparing really well the past few weeks," he said of his Paris-Nice debut.

"Unfortunately, with that cold day that was neutralised [stage 4] I really suffered when we were at the cars. It is unfortunate, but you can't ever give up in cycling, and I think that is what I really learned today.

"It's really unbelievable. I've been second so many times now. It's my first victory at the WorldTour level. It means so much."

Jorgenson was all smiles for his post-race interview with broadcasters, celebrating back-to-back overall victories at Paris-Nice. By the time upstate New York-native Sheffield was winning junior races for Hot Tubes, Jorgenson was riding his first of four seasons with Movistar at age 21.

"Magnus and I were on the same junior team, HotTubes cycling, and it was awesome to see him just in front of me [today]. I mean, I was really trying to catch him! I could not get him," Jorgenson, who grew up in the western US in Idaho, said of the two racing at the front of stage 8 on the flat 4.6km section of Sunday's 119.9km route separated by 29 seconds.

"I'm happy to see him win and he deserves this stage. He was really strong all week. It's pretty cool, Paris-Nice is turning into an American race haven," he said, adding a wink to the TV camera.

Jorgenson showed his abilities in 2022 and 2023 when he scored top fives across five stages at the Tour de France with Movistar. He had a third place on stage 12 two years ago at the Tour, but tore a thigh muscle several days later and withdrew from the Grand Tour. 

A move to Visma-Lease a Bike in 2024 was the fresh restart the young rider needed, winning Paris-Nice and Dwars door Vlaanderen followed by second on GC at Critérium du Dauphiné and a runner-up spot on the mega climb to Isola 2000 on stage 19 at the Tour.

"I've been thinking about this week for the past four months. It's nice to do it [win] and know I did everything I could. It worked out. I credit my team, really, I was so well-supported this week," the two-time winner said at the finish. 

Jorgenson dominated the proceedings once Visma-Lease a Bike won the team time trial in Nevers on stage 3. He slipped behind teammate Jonas Vingegaard by five seconds in the overall after stage 4, then moved back into the GC lead for good the next day.

"Yesterday and on La Loge des Gardes [stage 4], the day Jonas [Vingegaard] was second, both days I really suffered in the cold for the first time in my career. I think I may be just be a little too skinny right now or something. The cold was affecting me pretty bad," Jorgenson admitted.

"Yesterday I was really struggling and even had ski gloves on, but still had numb hands and feet. It was definitely not an easy week. Every stage presented its own challenges. I took every day like a one-day race and glad it's over. I'm going to sleep for a good week."

He is the 10th rider to win back-to-back editions of the Race to the Sun, the last rider in the elite club being Max Schachmann in 2020 and 2021 when he was with Bora-Hansgrohe.

Sheffield knows all about the strength of Jorgenson, so he knew he might be caught in the final stretch along the Promenade des Anglais on Sunday.

"Today, I think we made a really good plan on the bus. We didn't give up. We tried to use the guys on that first climb, we continued with the pace and we had the numbers [over the climbs] so it was about playing our cards right," said Sheffield.

"Matteo was isolated, Lipowitz was isolated. So I told the boys that I would go to the back and then I would attack and not look back.

"My gears weren't shifting, and doing all sorts of weird things, so I was a bit worried on that final straight with the headwinds that I could possibly get caught. So happy and relieved to cross the finish line first."