The drama in Paris-Nice continued as Matteo Jorgenson claimed the overall lead after an eventful fifth stage, while Jonas Vingegaard suffered a crash that disrupted his hold on the yellow jersey. Lenny Martinez took the stage win with a strong ride, while Jorgenson's resilience in tough conditions pushed him to the top of the general classification.

Vingegaard’s Early Crash Shakes Up the Race

The day started with a major shake-up when Vingegaard hit the deck around 85km to race on the Côte de Trèves, suffering a blow to his lips. The Visma-Lease a Bike leader managed to remount and chase back to the peloton after a visit to the medical car, but the incident clearly took a toll. While he still fought hard on the final climb, he couldn't match the pace of the best climbers, and his grip on the yellow jersey slipped away.

Jorgenson Rides Smart, Moves Into Yellow

While Vingegaard struggled, American Matteo Jorgenson thrived. Jorgenson paced his effort perfectly, staying with the strongest riders when the race exploded in the final kilometers. His controlled ride ensured he finished third on the stage, enough to leapfrog Vingegaard in the overall standings.

Matteo Jorgenson said regarding Jonas Vingegaard's situation after a crash, "I don't know much. I was coming back from a nature break and I saw him stopped on the side of the road with blood on his face." 

"Later he came to me and told me that his hand was really really painful and that he was having a hard breaking and holding the bars and that he just didn't feel comfortable. So he said yeah he's probably going to be more towards the back in the final and he said he'd do his best which I'm proud of him for." 

Jorgenson added, "They tried to keep Victor with him and then the other guys around me as much as possible and we managed it as well as we could.

"I hope so for sure, I think he should get his hand checked out and his head checked out. I honestly haven't seen him since the finish or I haven't seen him since the race ended, so I just hope that we can keep one two, and I hope he's okay also his health for me it is more important than a bike race."

Jorgenson mentioned that he "felt good" and "felt very good" during the stage. He contrasted this with the previous day's conditions, stating, "yesterday was just such weird conditions and I just couldn't get warm after that chaos." Regarding his approach to the final climb, Jorgenson stated he "tried to play it yeah offensive on the last climb because I know that a steadier pace is is better for a big guy like me."

Lenny Martinez Powers to Stage Win

The biggest celebration of the day belonged to Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious. The young French climber attacked at the perfect moment, dropping his rivals on the final ascent to claim an impressive victory.

Behind him, Clément Champoussin (XDS Astana) finished second, while Jorgenson rounded out the podium in third.

Stage 5 Results

• Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious)
• Clément Champoussin (XDS Astana)
• Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• Harold Tejada (XDS Astana)
• Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) at 2”

General Classification After Stage 5

• Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) at 6”
• Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) at 2”
• Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) at 10”
• Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) at 10”

What’s Next In The Paris-Nice 2025?

With 3 stages remaining, the race is wide open. Jorgenson now holds the yellow jersey, but Vingegaard, Almeida, and Lipowitz remain close behind. The final climbs of Paris-Nice could still shake up the standings, and Visma-Lease a Bike now faces a delicate balancing act between its two leaders.