Saint-Etienne, Wednesday, March 7th 2018– Team Sky won five of the last six editions of Paris-Nice, and the British outfit showed, with Wout Poels’s victory in Wednesday’s 18.4-km individual time trial in St Etienne that they would still be a force to reckon with in this edition. But the Dutchman’s brilliant effort in 25:33 was not enough for him to dislodge race leader Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana), who finished 7th, limited the damage and retained his yellow and white jersey for 15 seconds. France’s Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) took third place, both in the stage and in the GC, where he now lies 26 seconds behind Sanchez.
STAGE CLASSIFICATION
1. Wout Poels (Team Sky) in 25’33’’
2. Marc Soler (Movistar Team) at 11’’
3. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) at 16’’
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Luis León Sanchez (Astana Pro Team) 13h47’57’’
2. Wout Poels (Team Sky) at 15’’
3. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) at 26’’
