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Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard took overall victory at the Tirreno-Adriatico race, while Matteo Jorgenson triumphed at Paris-Nice.<\/b><\/p>\n
Denmark’s Vingegaard, 27, ended Italy’s seven-stage race one minute and 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Juan Ayuso.<\/p>\n
American Jorgenson, 24, finished behind Remco Evenepoel on the final stage of Paris-Nice, beating the Belgian to overall victory by 30 seconds.<\/p>\n
Overnight leader Brandon McNulty ended the final stage fifth to take third.<\/p>\n
American UAE Team Emirates rider McNulty began stage eight of the prestigious Paris-Nice with a four-second advantage over Jorgenson, while Evenepoel trailed by 36 seconds in fourth.<\/p>\n
But Jorgenson, of Team Visma-Lease a Bike, followed Evenepoel’s decisive attack with more than 40km remaining to become the first American to win the race since 2006.<\/p>\n
Soudal-Quick Step’s Evenepoel, the 2022 Vuelta a Espana winner who will race the Tour de France for the first time this year, took the stage win in a final sprint to the line.<\/p>\n
“To be honest, I never expected to win Paris-Nice. Until this year, I never thought it was possible. But here we are,” Jorgenson said.<\/p>\n
“It couldn’t have gone any better today, and the whole week. It hasn’t really sunk in yet to be honest.<\/p>\n
“I could barely sleep last night, I was so nervous and 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.”<\/p>\n
In San Benedetto del Tronto, on the Adriatic coast, Vingegaard completed a successful week for Team Visma-Lease a Bike.<\/p>\n
Vingegaard finished Sunday’s flat stage safely in the peloton to clinch the Maglia Azzurra, having established a commanding lead over closest challenger Ayuso by winning Saturday’s mountainous queen stage on Monte Petrano.<\/p>\n
With two stage wins Vingegaard said it had been “a perfect week for the team” and, ominously for his rivals, the two-time Tour de France champion has claimed he is “in better shape than last season at this time”.<\/p>\n
Australian Jai Hindley completed the podium at Tirreno-Adriatico, one minute and 52 seconds behind Vingegaard.<\/p>\n
Italian 23-year-old Jonathan Milan of Team Lidl-Trek sprinted to victory on the final stage on home soil, holding off Alexander Kristoff and Davide Cimolai.<\/p>\n
The first Grand Tour race of the year, the Giro d’Italia, begins on 4 May. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n