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The Paris-Nice Stage 5 was a buffet of suffering, strategy, and spectacular scenery. Riders endured 196.5km of French hill hell from Saint-Just-en-Chevalet to La Cote-Saint-Andre, a route so scenic it almost distracted from the lactic acid searing through their thighs. Almost. The stage kicked off with a breakaway that was doomed from the moment it started—classic.

Midway through, crosswinds turned the peloton into a blender of broken dreams. GC contenders threw shade with their pedals, domestiques dug deep into their pain caves, and a few unlucky souls kissed the tarmac like it owed them money. The French crowds? Loud, proud, and still furious no one calls it “Nice-Paris.” In the end, a lean-legged hero crossed the line in dramatic fashion while the rest just tried not to cry on live TV.

As for the Aussies—hanging in there, giving it a nudge, and reminding the world that yes, we do more than cricket. Sources: L’Equipe, Cycling Weekly, Paris-Nice 2025 Official Site – 23 Apr 2025