PARIS–NICE: Max Kanter (XDS ASTANA) wins Stage 2 in a bunch sprint!

The rider from the XDS Astana Team, Max Kanter, took the win on Stage 2 of Paris–Nice. Kanter won the bunch sprint after superb teamwork and a textbook lead-out from Mike Teunissen in the final kilometre of the stage.

For Max Kanter, this victory is his first win at UCI WorldTour level, while for XDS Astana Team, it is the team’s first win at this level in the 2026 season.

Winner’s statement:

"Paris–Nice is a very prestigious race, and winning a stage here is something incredible (...)

The final kilometres were pretty hectic and with 2 km to go we lost a lot of positions.

My teammate Mike Teunissen kept his cool and I trusted him. He delivered a phenomenal last kilometre, and dropped me off with 200 metres to go. After that, I just emptied the tank."