Sydneysider Michael Storer has delivered a superb solo stage triumph in the falling snow at one of cycling's great races, Paris-Nice - with a little help from a superstar of the sport.
Storer, a former King of the Mountains at the Vuelta a Espana, once again reminded everyone of his calibre as he rode away from a breakaway, soloing the last 2.5km on a brutal Saturday to cross the line first 20 seconds clear of the field at Auron amid the wet snowfall in the Southern Alps of France.
The first person the 28-year-old wanted to thank for the win was his superstar Tudor Pro teammate, Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, the two-time world road race champ, who acted as the Aussie's "super domestique'' for the day.