Perfect end to Paris-Nice

Magnus Sheffield won the final stage of Paris-Nice in thrilling style on the day that Thymen Arensman confirmed third place overall.

The results completed a brilliant team performance across the eight days of the WorldTour stage race.

Sheffield claim his first success at WorldTour level with a perfectly judged attacking solo victory. The American capitalised on the powerful work of his teammates on the final stage, launching clear with 35 kilometres to go.

After bridging to the leaders on the Col d'Eze, Sheffield would push on alongside Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), before going solo on the Col des Quatre Chemins.

With a gap of 20 seconds over the top to race leader Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), a tense chase ensued on the run to the line.

Sheffield held his nerve to win by 29 seconds over his compatriot, and moments later was congratulated by Arensman at the finish.

With Sheffield up the road, Arensman had held on well amongst a group of chasing GC riders, with Tobias Foss providing great support within the group. 

Both riders pushed the pace at key moments, again benefitting from the earlier hard riding which had isolated many GC contenders.

Arensman crossed the line seventh in Nice, confirming his podium finish, 1:58 back on Jorgenson. Sheffield's stage winning heroics elevated him to fourth overall, while Foss' selfless week also ended in a top-10 finish, coming home ninth.

Earlier Ben Swift, Sam Watson, Bob Jungels and Josh Tarling had emptied the tank to set a tough opening tempo on the Col de la Porte. 

A stage win and podium finish were just reward for a superb team showing all week, with a Team GC victory by over 15 minutes reflecting a rousing ride by the entire team.