Kleijn springs surprise as sun shines on Paris-Nice

Once the 29-year-old Tudor Pro rider got ahead on the broad road towards the finish line east of Orleans neither New Zealand's Laurence Pithie in second nor Dylan Groenewegen in third could get up alongside him.

But 21-year-old FDJ rider Pithie from Christchurch took the yellow jersey as the new leader of the race ahead of Sunday's winner Olav Kooij and runner-up Mads Pedersen, with the three all on the same time.

Stage two over 179km had been designed in the hope of crosswinds on the open agricultural plains south of Paris but in bright sunshine riders took the time to take in the scenery after the peloton awoke Monday with a whiff of spring in the air.

The third stage is a team time trial over 26.9km on Tuesday with former winner Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel likely to shine as riders are timed individually.

The idea is that teams will deliver Evenepoel and Roglic before splintering as they send their leading contenders up the road near the finish at Auxerre.