CONFLANS-SAINTE-HONORINE, France: Australian Michael Matthews took the overall leader’s yellow jersey at the Paris-Nice stage race after winning the opening prologue on Sunday.

Orica GreenEdge rider Matthews, 25, blitzed the 6.1km course at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, to the west of Paris, in 7min 39sec to beat Dutch timetrial specialist Tom Dumoulin by a single second.

New Zealander Patrick Bevan was third at 2sec while Australian defending champion Richie Porte came in 11th, 10sec down.

Team Sky leader Geraint Thomas, widely tipped to run Porte close for overall victory in the ‘Race to the Sun’, was seventh at 7sec while twice former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador came in a lowly 27th at 16sec.

Specialist sprinter Matthews, who was second at last year’s world road race championships, was competing in his first race of the season.

Monday’s first stage proper will take the peloton 198km from Conde-sur-Vesgre to Vendome and is expected to finish in a bunch sprint.