Eighteen non-runners, four retirements… The peloton was decimated by a mysterious flu virus during the 5th stage of Paris-Nice which tipped the race into its second phase with a steeper profile. This will be the case until the arrival in Nice on Sunday. This Thursday, five difficulties were listed between Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert and Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut (188.8 km) including three 1st category climbs and passes).
A terrain conducive to backpackers and breakaways. Fourteen runners left from the 14th kilometer, including four Frenchmen Laurent Pichon (Arkéa-Samsic), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) and Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels-KTM). But in this group, the strongest was called Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) who offered himself a short recital to finish alone during the last 38 kilometers. The 23-year-old American won his third success of the year, after the Trofeo Calvià and the Classic de l’Ardèche. It is also already the 15th victory for the UAE formation of Tadej Pogacar, who again proved irresistible by winning the 4th stage of Tirreno-Adriatico this Thursday.
. Franck Bonnamour, voted super combative in the last Tour de France, finished 2nd in this stage, 1′59′ from McNulty.
But the day was also marked by taking the yellow jersey from Primoz Roglic. His Jumbo Visma team-mate, Wout Van Aert, winner of the time trial on Wednesday, has indeed cracked. He had announced that he would not play for the final classification at Paris-Nice to preserve himself for the classics. The Belgian got up at the foot of the Col de la Mure, the last difficulty (7.6 km at 8.3% average) leaving the only Rohan Dennis to support Primoz Roglic in the final. The shadow of a doubt now weighs on the Jumbo Visma, yet so dominating since the departure from Mantes on Sunday. On arrival, it was not really the euphoria on the side of the Dutch formation even if Roglic, attacked, showed that he was strong. He will have to take another three stages.
More than 5 minutes after Brandon McNulty, it was Pierre Latour who sprinted the small pack of favorites. Tenth in this stage after his 7th place on the clock on Wednesday, the TotalEnergies rider who was almost at home on the roads of the Ardèche, is now 3rd in the general classification. Generous even if he sometimes runs a little disorderly, Latour confirms his excellent start to the season on this Paris-Nice (4th in the Etoile de Bessèges, 5th in the Tour la Provence).
