Dylan Groenewegen pips Elia Viviani to Paris-Nice stage win

Lotto-Jumbo rider Groenewegen, who won the Champs-Elysees stage at the Tour de France last year, powered past Italian Elia Viviani to claim his first Paris-Nice stage win.

Quick Step’s Viviani had to settle for second, with German pair Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Phil Bauhaus (Team Sunweb) third and fourth respectively.

Frenchman Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ), who won a tight opening stage after a photo finish involving six riders on Sunday, finished fifth to retain his leader’s yellow and white jersey.

Portugal’s Rui Costa, the 2013 road world champion, pulled out of the race after 25 kilometres due to a knee injury sustained in a crash during stage one.

American Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) was forced to abandon the race on Sunday after two stage-one crashes left him with multiple cuts and a cervical sprain.

The 210km stage three, from Bourges to Chatel-Guyon, takes place on Tuesday.