The Race to the Sun once again struggled to live up to its name. While the finale of stage eight was raced under clear skies, the weather conditions made life difficult for our riders throughout the week. Rain, wind, snow and even a shortened stage: the elements combined against the peloton, but they did little to dampen the fighting spirit of Team TotalEnergies.
Originally not scheduled to start, Mattéo Vercher joined the line-up at the last minute as a replacement for Nicolas Breuillard — an opportunity the Lyon native was quick to seize.
In his first Paris–Nice appearance, the rider who shone with Vendée U – Primeo Energie in 2022 showed how much he has progressed. As the race unfolded, he found himself stepping into the role of team leader and battling for a place in the general classification.
Backed by a tight-knit team, Mattéo consistently finished the summit finishes alongside the peloton’s main contenders. Despite the challenges of a particularly demanding edition, he finished the race just outside the top 10. A result achieved without regrets — he left everything out on the road.
The attacking rides of Mathis Le Berre, the fighting spirit of Florian Dauphin, the positioning of Anthony Turgis, the resilience of Sandy Dujardin, the sacrifices of Joris Delbove and the explosiveness of Alexandre Delettre were also among the week’s many positives. Together, these qualities shaped the strength of a united group, able to complement one another and bring out the best in each rider.
All in all, it leaves a very encouraging assessment at the end of this Paris–Nice. In an edition where simply reaching the final finish without incident was already an achievement, Team TotalEnergies also stood out as the best ProTeam in the final general classification.
