As it happened: Paris-Nice stage 8

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Remco Evenepoel wins final stage ahead of Matteo Jorgenson, but American claims overall victory in career-best performance

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Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' final day of live coverage of Paris-Nice for stage 8!

Riders are in Nice and completing the team presentation ahead of the neutralised roll out which is around 10 minutes away now. The weather has been tough with rain and cold bringing poor conditions, but the sun is poking through for the moment.

Here's Remco Evenepoel ahead of the stage start. He'll surely be on the attack throughout the day. 

Today is poised for a huge GC fight in the mountains, with five categorised climbs:
- Côte de Levens (6.1 km at 5.8%) - 94km to go
- Côte de Châteauneuf (5.5 km at 4.5%) - 77km to go
- Côte de Berre-les-Alpes (6.5 km at 5.9%) - 65km to go
- Côte de Peille (6.5 km at 6.9%) - 47km to go
- Col des Quatre-Chemins (3.8 km at 8.1%) - 13km to go
Above is where they start on the course so look out for these markers, and they will also take in part of the famous Col d'Èze where the intermediate sprint point and bonus seconds will be fought for. 

Unofficial race start

Three more riders didn't take the start today in Nice: David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Elmar Reinders and Luka Mezgec (Jayco AlUla).

If you need to catch up with what happened in yesterday's summit finish, here's the race report. A reminder that Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) did hold onto yellow but that his leading gap narrowed to just four seconds from compatriot Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike).

Paris-Nice: Aleksandr Vlasov wins stage 7 as Brandon McNulty fights to remain in yellow

Here's McNulty looking focused on the day ahead at the race start. 

Here's how the GC standings were left after stage 7 courtesy of FirstCycling.

Just four seconds separates McNulty and Jorgenson at the top, with Skjelmose, Evenepoel and Plapp all fighting for that podium spot. The parcours could allow for someone lower down to start a real raid if they can get up the road with teammates, so expect everyone in this top 10 to be trying something today. 

109KM TO GO

The peloton will head north out of Nice along the Var river, before turning right at La Roquette-sur-Var and approaching the toughest inclines of the day. From then on in, there will barely be a flat kilometre with climbs lining the road until the descent for home where the Promenade des Anglais in Nice awaits its newest champion. 

Here's what McNulty had to say ahead of the stage start to CyclingProNet.

"A mix of everything - excitement, nervous tired but in the end it's going to be an aggressive day so we'll give everything."

"It's been a really tough week. I think everyone is suffering I hope but we'll see. It will be really aggressive, especially the last two climbs."

"I know he's really motivated and he lives here so it's almost a home race for him. Remco is also right there and we know how he races so it's going to be tough."

The first wave of attacks in the peloton has seen a group of three riders get a small advantage. Johan Jacobs (Movistar) who was in yesterday's break alongside Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) and former race leader at this year's Paris-Nice, Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ). 

100KM TO GO

Jacobs, Campenaerts and Pithie now have closer to a two-minute gap as they hit the first climb of the day - Côte de Levens (6.1 km at 5.8%).

Pithie has been dropped by his fellow escapees on the climb. Only Campenaerts and Jacobs remain out in the lead.

Campenaerts is looking as aero as ever on the attack. 

90KM TO GO

Campenaerts is now all alone with Jacobs dropped. Behind, a tandem attack has come out of the peloton with Christian Scaroni and Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) off in pursuit of the KOM points.

Scaroni didn't managed to get the maximum five KOM points which were swept up by the Belgian in front, but he did get two and narrowed the gap to current leader in that classification - Mathieu Burgaudeau - to just eight points now. 

That's the first of five climbs on the day done, with many more opportunities for attacks to be launched. 

The Astana duo were joined later by Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) and Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) bridging across. There are groups forming all over the road as they now descend towards the second climb. 

Double stage-winner Olav kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) has abandoned the race. 

80KM TO GO

Those in the breakaway are on the lower slopes of the Côte de Châteauneuf (5.5 km at 4.5%) climb. 

The lone leader on stage 8 of Paris-Nice.

The groups on the road behind have joined forming a much bigger chase. Armirail, De Plus, Scaroni, Battistella and Jacobs have now got Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Ewan Costiou (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost), Ruben Guerreiro and Will Barta (both Movistar) for company. 

Mads Pedersen is leading a group behind the huge pack of chasers in pursuit of Campenaerts. He could be an important satellite rider should Skjelmose want to try something later. 

70KM TO GO

Buitrago looks like he won't be continuing this race after being on superb form on the climbs and taking a stage win, but more importantly he is thankfully back on his feet after a heavy crash. 

Lidl-Trek are already looking very active and leading the peloton down one of the treacherous descent sections. Rain has made the hairpin downhills even more dangerous and technical than they already were. 

Scaroni took three more points over the last climb meaning Burgaudeau only leads by five in the KOM classification now. 

Campenaerts is still moving along nicely on his own out in front, with his time gap currently at 1:05 from the GC favourites. 

Santiago Buitrago and Kevin Geniets have abandoned Paris-Nice. 

There are splits behind in the peloton with a lot of key domestiques separated from their leaders. There could be a lot of people isolated as we go climbing again up the Côte de Berre-les-Alpes (6.5 km at 5.9%), which has steepest sections in its final 2km. 

The group of GC favourites have no caught the second group on the road which had Mads Pedersen in it from his earlier move. Pedersen has gone to the front and started to pace for Skjelmose already. 

Evenepoel looks isolated in the front group. He's got three teammates definitely behind in the third group on the road as Pedersen continues driving for Skjelmose. 

KOM leader Burgaedeau has been dropped and his challenge for that classification will be down to those in front and what they can do. Scaroni will be eyeing a few more points on the road with the jersey within striking distance. 

60KM TO GO

Scaroni and Battistella are again looking active with around 500m to the top of this climb with more KOM points on offer. Pedersen is still in the group after a long pull.

Campenaerts leads the race over the third categorised climb of the day. Scaroni took second for three more KOM points which moves him just two behind Burgaudeau now. Pedersen has moved back to the front to lead Skjelmose down the descent with the hardest two climbs on the day still to come. 

Pedersen is bombing down this descent with speeds past 80kph even in wet conditions. The group of leaders is heading through the lovely looking L'Escarène. The Dane has reduced Campenaerts' lead to just 12 seconds. 

50KM TO GO

Campenaerts is all but caught, chapeau to him. We're starting the brutally tough Côte de Peille (6.5 km at 6.9%) climb with a very small group of leaders remaining. How long can Pedersen keep pulling on the front?

Just as I type, Evenepoel goes! He isn't letting any attacks get ahead of him today and with 46.6km still remaning, he's decided now is a good time to go. 

He's followed quickly by Jorgenson who snapped onto his wheel and he's now knocked off his effort. Luke Plapp looked the worst effected by that tough acceleration but he is now back in thanks to help from Chris Harper. The Jayco AlUla domestique has now gone to the front of the group. 

Evenepoel attacks again! This is brutal. Skjelmose is trying to follow as are Jorgenson and McNulty who both closed well. 

45KM TO GO

Here's an earlier shot of Evenepoel just behind McNulty. He'll be wanting to take that yellow jersey off him by the end of today. He's since removed the gilet and arm warmers, ready for the attacks in his Belgian national champion's jersey. 

We're getting a look at Egan Bernal who is in a group 40 seconds back with Joao Almeida. 

Round three from Evenepoel who attacks again. Jorgenson is again straight onto his wheel with McNulty not in contact yet but looking good to close. Skjelmose has started to struggle this time. 

Jorgenson is pulling through and giving Evenepoel a pull on the front with McNulty not in contact. He's with Vlasov trying to close the gap and just grinding away. 

Vlasov leaves McNulty behind to join Jorgenson and Evenepoel. It's not looking good for the yellow jersey after missing out, remember started the day with just a four-second lead from Jorgenson who on the road would virtually be in the jersey. 

Here's the moment Evenepoel and Jorgenson got away from McNulty. They've now got Vlasov for company who can be seen just behind the yellow jersey. 

40KM TO GO

Evenepoel is doing a lot of work on the pedalling portions of this descent, with Jorgenson sat on his wheel and Vlasov able to just sit in at the back - he's set to gain big if this group stays away. Gap to the Skjelmose, McNulty and Roglic group is currently at 20 seconds.

Roglic appears to be struggling at the back of the chasing group. This typically hasn't been a stage suited to the Slovenian and the horrific weather conditions also aren't playing to his strengths. 

It was actually wanting a gilet that saw Roglic drop back, not a struggle. This group behind isn't working well and the three in front now have a 40-second lead. 

30KM TO GO

McNulty has taken off in a desperate attempt to try and salvage something from today. The gap is at 1:07 as Plapp moves ahead. There's nothing doing in this chase group with the damage clearly done on the Côte de Peille.

Its the shorter steeper side of the famous Col d'Èze we're tackling here. Could it be the perfect launchpad for Jorgenson or Evenepoel to make their decisive move?

Jorgenson moves ahead of Evenepoel and takes the maximum bonus seconds haul. He's defending from the front after Evenepoel led up the majority of the climb. 

Now Roglič really has started to struggle, dropping away from the second group on the road.

20KM TO GO

Here's the leading trio that will battle it out for the stage win. Just one climb and a descent back to Nice separates them from the finish. Will Evenepoel try and drop Jorgenson over the Col des Quatre-Chemins (3.8 km at 8.1%) to try and take both the stage win and overall victory? Or will he bide his time to try and just secure the stage victory? They can't count out yesterday's stage winner Vlasov either. 

Jorgenson will know these roads well as he lives in the area, as does Vlasov. He'll want to stick with Evenepoel knowing that if he is with the Belgian champion at the line, he will win Paris-Nice. 

15KM TO GO

We've actually reached Nice already but this climb takes the riders back out of the city for one more stinging hit to the legs, before descending to the Promenade des Anglais.

With the gap to McNulty's group now at 1:51, Vlasov is getting closer to reaching the podium as he started the day 2:05 behind the American. 

Evenepoel is leading on the front of the trio with Jorgenson locked in. The Visma-Lease a Bike man knows he just has to follow and he will win if he stays in contact with the young Belgian. 

Jorgenson has curiously now taken over as we approach the most difficult gradients with a couple of kilometres that only feature double-digit gradients. Will Evenepoel explode into life and try to distance the white jersey?

10KM TO GO

Evenepoel is winding it up on the front and Vlasov is on a small gap but fighting to stay in. This isn't the attack yet but he is surely going to try. 

With only 1.4km of uphill roads left to tackle at Paris-Nice 2024, Vlasov has run out of steam and drops from the other two leaders. Jorgenson looks rock solid on Evenepoel's wheel for now. 

Jorgenson has actually moved alongside and now in front of Evenepoel with 650 metres left of the climb. There hasn't been any attack yet from the Belgian, perhaps it's just the stage win he thinks he can get with Jorgenson looking every bit his equal uphill. 

Over the top and it's still all together for these two in front. Evenepoel continues to pull on the downhill section back to Nice. It will be a quick dash for the line with a two-up sprint looking likely between these two.

5KM TO GO

They are chatting quite a lot in the run to the line on the Promenade des Anglais with Jorgenson letting a smile go as he perhaps realises just what he has done here by winning Paris-Nice overall. 

Here's a last look at the leading duo as they head into the final 2 kilometres. 

1KM TO GO

It looks as though Jorgenson is happy to lead it out and allow Evenepoel to take the stage win - which he likely would have anyway as the more explosive rider. The Belgian champ hits the front with a big sprint uncontested by the American behind who takes the overall. 

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) wins Paris-Nice 2024 as Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) wins stage 8!

It's the sign of a huge step up for the 24-year-old who moved to Visma-Lease a Bike from Movistar for 2024, with big ambitions in the Classics and as a GC rider. He's achieved both already in just his first few races with the team, part of the squad that dominated opening weekend and now winning Paris-Nice on his own - one of the most important one-week stages on the WorldTour calendar. 

McNulty arrives at the line defeated, but ever the sportsman he goes straight to his compatriot to congratulate him. It's still not the WorldTour stage race win he would have wanted but its nonetheless a great performance and he still finishes on the overall podium in third. 

Here's the moment Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) took victory on stage 8, with Jorgenson's crowning moment captured in the background. 

Alongside the stage win, Evenepoel also moved into the lead of both the King of the Mountains classification and green points jersey classification. Not a bad haul from his debut at Paris-Nice with a debut at the Tour de France in summer still to come for the young Belgian star. 

Here's some reaction from stage winner Remco Evenepoel:

Asked if he was disapointed to not win overall, Evenepoel said: "No, I mean if you see only one guy could follow, Matteo, then I think he deserves to win. I went three times all in on Côte de Peille and he was the only one to follow. Vlasov jumped across but i think he spent quite some energy up there with that move so i think that matteo is the deserved winner of this race. I think I should be more than happy with the ending of this beautiful week."

"I think what I showed was the plan. We wanted to pace ourselves on the Côte de Peille but the bunch split completely with a nasty crash at the start of the descent and I think Trek smashed it down."

"I was always in good position so I have to say that i did very well in that aspect this week. Then when I saw we were only 10, 12 guys left I just told myself 'I'm gonna try a few times all out attacks and just see what happens' I think i put a lot of fatigue in the legs of everybody with that and to be honest, on the top of Peille I was suffering myself as well after the last attack. But that's how you win a race by suffering and just going all in."

He did say there was room for improvement with altitude camps to come before he attempts to again smash the Ardennes Classics as his next big goal for the season. 

All smiles for the two Americans who starred at this weeks Paris-Nice. They bookend the podium as cyclists from the USA continue to show themselves at the biggest races once again. 

Here's what Paris-Nice overall winner Jorgenson had to say after the stage:

"To be honest, no, never. Until this year I never would've believed this was possible but here we are," Jorgenson said.

"It couldn't have gone any better today and the whole week. It hasn't really sunk in yet. I could barely sleep last night, to be honest with you, I was so nervous and I felt for the first time in my life pressure.

"To have it come together like that and to ride in with such a champion like Remco, it was just a really special moment."

Jorgenson said the finish was right by his house a local to Nice, with knowledge of home roads helping him to assign key points where he could tell his domestiques to position him. 

His trade team kit may be yellow, but nothing will feel as good as putting on the Paris-Nice leader's and winner's maillot jaune. Here's Matteo Jorgenson's crowning moment, resplendent in yellow in Nice. 

The final GC top 10 at Paris-Nice 2024 with Vlasov moving into the top 5 after another strong day. Plapp fell to sixth but it was still a step up and successful week for him at new team Jayco AlUla. Roglič finished ninth overall after not having his best day or week. USA on top at Paris-Nice.

Quite a tremendous stat on Visma-Lease a Bike and their continued domination of the whole calendar. Even with new riders such as Jorgenson, they once again prove their are the best team in the world as the first side ever to win both Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. 

That wraps things up for our live coverage of Paris-Nice 2024 with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) winning this year's Race to the Sun. Look out for news coming out of both this race and Tirreno-Adriatico which also concludes today. Also, make sure to read the full race report below.

Paris-Nice: Jorgenson takes overall victory as Evenepoel wins final stage

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