Rain, winter temperatures, and wind spared no one in today's Paris-Nice, which was a truly tough day. Everyone struggled to reach the finish line, but some had an extra motivation to perform well in the sixth stage: the Visma-Lease a Bike riders, who after losing Jonas Vingegaard yesterday due to a crash, decided to make a real show of strength to everyone.

Vingegaard's withdrawal worked as a stimulus for the yellow-black brigade and, after the initial disappointment, everyone had the desire to react and prove that they would ultimately bring home the yellow jersey. Campenaerts described their strategy as instinctive, while for Matteo Jorgenson, the tactic used today was the only possible approach.

"Some call it instinct, others simply a reaction, for us it was the only response we had to give after Jonas's withdrawal yesterday" - said team manager Grischa Niermann - "Actually, we expected a bit more wind. Jorgenson told us that the descent after the climb seemed the best place to push, and we let him do it. Congratulations to Matteo and the entire team".

Jorgenson and the entire Visma-Lease a Bike made the difference and although the stage victory went to Pedersen, the American now has a general classification lead that allows him to be more relaxed. Lipowitz is second with a 40" gap, while Skjelmose is third at 59". Notable is Almeida's situation, who is now 2'40" behind Jorgenson.

"There was some wind, but it didn't create major problems. We simply launched the right action that then worked. It was a really long race, with a perceived temperature of zero degrees. From the first kilometers, riders were moving their hands to warm up. It wasn't easy".

Matteo Jorgenson won Paris-Nice last year but couldn't wear the yellow jersey during the race because he became the leader and won in the last day of the race. Grischa Niermann, despite Vingegaard's withdrawal, is satisfied with his team's work and is calm about the last two days of the race.

"Half the peloton was just hoping to reach the finish line. For us, it was different - the riders pushed until the end. It was a beautiful day. I'm proud of my team. This demonstrates resilience, especially after this morning's disappointment with Vingegaard. Now we will defend our leader position and bring the yellow jersey to Nice".