Ineos Grenadiers Triumph in Paris-Nice Team Time Trial, Ayuso Secures Race Lead

Ineos Grenadiers delivered a commanding performance to win stage 3 of Paris-Nice, a 23.5km team time trial in Pouilly-sur-Loire on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Lidl-Trek finished a close second, just 2.5 seconds behind, with Juan Ayuso taking the overall race lead.

Ineos Grenadiers Dominate the Clock

The British team completed the course in 26’40” (52.9 km/h), showcasing their strength and tactical prowess. Kévin Vauquelin was the first rider from Ineos Grenadiers across the finish line, followed closely by Oscar Onley. Josh Tarling played a crucial role, setting a strong pace and benefiting their general classification contenders.

Ayuso Takes Yellow Jersey

Despite finishing second on the stage, Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek secured the yellow jersey, capitalizing on four bonus seconds earned during stage 2. He finished the stage two seconds behind Vauquelin. Lidl-Trek fielded a strong team including national time trial champions Mathias Vacek (Czechia), Jakob Söderqvist (Sweden) and Toms Skujiņš (Latvia), who worked cohesively to support Ayuso.

Key Performances and GC Standings

Decathlon CMA CGM finished third, nine seconds behind Ineos Grenadiers, while Visma-Lease a Bike placed fourth at 15 seconds. Luke Lamperti, who had led the race for the previous two days, dropped to 69th place despite a sixth-place finish with his team, EF Education-EasyPost.

A Dress Rehearsal for the Tour de France

This team time trial served as an vital preparation for the opening stage of the Tour de France in July, which will also be a team time trial, a 19km event in Barcelona. The result demonstrates Lidl-Trek’s progress in this discipline.

Reactions from the Teams

While disappointed not to win, Juan Ayuso acknowledged the strength of Ineos Grenadiers. “We were really motivated this morning and we really thought it was possible to win. When we’re two seconds down it hurts, the guys deserved to win today. It’s bike racing and there was just a stronger team out there, congrats to them,” he said. He also noted the challenging weather forecast for stage 4, anticipating crosswinds, rain, and cold temperatures.

Ineos Grenadiers team director Geraint Thomas expressed his delight at the result, stating, “The whole team’s been incredible. We set out at the start of the year and it’s been a large goal but to be honest we didn’t expect it in Paris-Nice, it’s more learning, which we’ve spoken about a lot.”

Looking Ahead

With challenging weather conditions expected on stage 4, the battle for the overall lead in Paris-Nice is set to intensify. Juan Ayuso will aim to defend his yellow jersey, while Ineos Grenadiers will look to build on their stage 3 victory.