Sydney cyclist Michael Storer, with his outstanding individual ability, won a stage victory in the snow at the prestigious Paris-Nice cycling race, aided by a cycling superstar. This victory once again proves Storer's strength and potential for future success.
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03-16, 2025Storer was once the King of the Mountains in the Vuelta a España. In Saturday's brutal race, he broke away from the breakaway group, soloing the final 2.5 kilometers, and ultimately crossed the finish line at Auron in the wet snow of the southern French Alps, 20 seconds ahead of the competition, demonstrating his climbing prowess.
After the race, Storer first thanked his Tudor Pro Cycling Team teammate, French superstar Julian Alaphilippe, the two-time World Road Race Champion, who played the role of "super domestique" for the Australian rider that day. Storer said, "It's amazing, Julian knows the race better than anyone, he's really invaluable. It's not common for a two-time world champion to fight for you, it motivated me greatly."
This victory moved Storer from 13th to 4th in the general classification, and he still has a chance to reach the podium on Sunday's rugged final stage in the hills near Nice on the Riviera. Storer is currently 2 minutes and 25 seconds behind American rider Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), 1 minute and 48 seconds behind German rider Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), and 1 minute and 5 seconds behind Dutch rider Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers).
Storer said he was very grateful for Alaphilippe's efforts, as the French star helped him join the 12-man breakaway group, and the cold weather again took its toll on the riders that day. Storer broke away in the steep final sprint, saying after winning the seventh victory of his career at the 1600-meter-high finish line, "He was the most important rider on the team today. I'm glad I was good enough to finish the race," showcasing the importance of teamwork in cycling.
This week of the Paris-Nice cycling race has been very difficult, with harsh weather conditions causing the riders to struggle. On Saturday, 14 cyclists withdrew from the grueling race before or during the competition. Storer, in his second year with the ambitious Swiss Tudor Pro Cycling Team, finished in the top ten in the Giro d'Italia last year. Alaphilippe joined the team in the winter, bringing more star power to the squad, further strengthening their chances in future races.
Impressive Australian performances also emerged in another major European cycling event held over the weekend, the Tirreno-Adriatico cycling race in Italy. Former Giro d'Italia champion Jai Hindley finished third in the penultimate stage, which was won by Spanish rider Juan Ayuso, who is also the overall leader. This puts the Perth rider in fifth place overall heading into Sunday's final stage, demonstrating the depth of Australian talent in the sport.
