The China Mail - American Jorgenson defends Paris-Nice title

Visma's Jorgenson started out last Sunday as his team's co-leader with two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard who pulled out in midweek due to a hand injury.

"It was stressful, all week, but I did it," said Nice resident Jorgenson. "We knew it would be tough and draining. But everyone worked.

"I'm happy to be on this team and man, I won this race two years in a row."

Jorgenson and Sheffield have been racing together since junior level.

"I'm happy to see him win, I'll try and catch him later," said Jorgenson of Sheffield.

The 22-year-old Sheffield of Ineos broke at the bottom of the final climb and crossed the summit and the finish line alone.

The final stage embarked under sunny skies from the famous Promenade des Anglais and effected a loop into the low Alps over three climbs, before swooping back down to the Riviera resort after a week dominated by testing, wintry conditions a long way off the event's tagline of the "Race to the Sun".

Up-and-coming German hope Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull-Bora was second overall, while Dutch climber Thymen Arensman of Ineos was third.

Denmark's Mads Pedersen attacked all day to ensure he picked up various bonus points to beat Jorgenson to the green sprint points jersey by 62 points to 57.

Lipowitz won the white jersey for best under-25 rider and Ineos ended as the top team.

H.Au--ThChM