Defending champion Matteo Jorgenson won the eight-day Paris-Nice race on Sunday, crossing the finish line on the French Riviera in second place as fellow American Magnus Sheffield claimed victory with a solo attack.

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

Matteo Jorgenson Reflects On Back-To-Back Paris-Nice Wins

"It was stressful all week, but I did it," said Jorgenson, who resides in Nice. "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 their junior years.

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

Jorgenson's teammates could barely contain their excitement as the Californian secured his victory.

"Matteo naturally stands out as a leader because he's probably the most committed of all," said his French teammate Axel Zingle.

"He's a perfectionist. He leaves nothing to chance. It's super motivating to evolve with a leader like that. We really want to do everything we can to support him as best we can."

Jonas Vingegaard Remains Tour de France Leader At Visma

Vingegaard has been Visma's undisputed leader at the Tour de France for the past three years, and Jorgenson does not expect that to change.

"Not at all, that's not the plan at all," insisted Jorgenson, who plans to once again join forces with Vingegaard at the Tour de France this summer in support of a rider he considers "much stronger" than himself.

Magnus Sheffield Dominates Final Stage

The 22-year-old Sheffield, riding for Ineos, launched his attack at the bottom of the final climb, crossing both the summit and the finish line alone.

The final stage began under sunny skies from Nice's famous Promenade des Anglais and looped into the lower Alps over three climbs.

The peloton chased Sheffield back down to the Riviera resort after a week dominated by testing, wintry conditions—far from the event's traditional tagline, the "Race to the Sun."

Final Standings And Jersey Winners

Rising German talent Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull-Bora finished second overall, while Dutch climber Thymen Arensman of Ineos secured third place, with Sheffield fourth and Australian Michael Storer rounding out the top five.

Denmark's one-day specialist Mads Pedersen attacked throughout the day to collect bonus points, securing the green sprint jersey by edging Jorgenson 62 points to 57.

Lipowitz claimed the white jersey for best under-25 rider, while Ineos finished as the top team.