Vingegaard through rain, wind and chaos
March 11 th 2026 - 16:56
Stage 4 of Paris-Nice 2026 featured the first proper climbing challenges of the 84th edition of the Race to the Sun, but fierce action unleashed well before the ascents of the day! A rainy and windy day produced echelons as soon as the flag dropped in Bourges, 195 km away from the finish. Spending his first day with the yellow and white jersey, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) was in prime position to defend his overall lead until he got caught in a crash with 47 km to go and forced to abandon. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe drove the front of the race for Dani Martinez, and only Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) managed to stick to their wheel. The Dane eventually put the hammer down for the final kilometre to the Uchon finish, with gradients up to 16%, and went on to take his first Paris-Nice stage win, as well as the leader’s yellow and white jersey. This is the eighth consecutive edition with a Danish stage win, but they’ve yet to win overall.
Following Tuesday’s team time trial and Juan Ayuso’s rise to power, the peloton face the first real climbing challenges of Paris-Nice 2026 with 2,520 metres of elevation en route to a cat-1 summit finish in Uchon.
Riders warm up at high intensities ahead of the start. Is it because of the rain? Because they anticipate a hard battle for the break? Or are they wary of the 20-30 km/h winds (with gusts up to 45km/h) blowing from the south (crosswinds)?
Echelons from the gun
Riders stand on their pedals as soon as the flag drops. Less than 5 kilometres into the stage, splits already appear. Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) is up there, as well as Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Oscar Onley (Ineos Grenadiers), and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates XRG). Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are also in force, with four teammates (Denz, Thornley, Van Dijke x2) along with Dani Martinez.
Second in the overall standings, Kevin Vauquelin (Ineos Grenadiers) is in a third split that rapidly gets back to the second group, featuring Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates XRG). A fierce battle ensues, with the gap oscillating between 55’’ and 1’40’’ at the bottom of the Côte de la Croix des Cerisiers (km 127).
Ayuso on the ground
Kevin Vauquelin and Lenny Martinez drive the chase on the ascent, bringing the gap down to 45’’. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe up the ante on wet roads. And Ayuso hits the deck on the downhill with 47 kilometres to go. The Spaniard tries to resume racing but he is injured and needs to stop. Brandon McNulty is also involved, and the group explodes.
Soon, only five riders remain at the front: Dani Martinez with three teammates (Denz, Van Dijke x2), and Vingegaard. They push their advantage on the ascent of the Côte de la Croix de la Libération (4.6km at 5.3%). Behind them, Tarling paces Onley, who had to change bikes on the downhill due to a previous crash at km 85, but the gap rapidly increases.
Vingegaard at the summit
The Ineos Grenadiers duo eventually wait for their first chasers, including Vauquelin, who bridges the gap along with Lenny Martinez 16 km away from the finish. At that point, they trail by 2’40’’.
The final climb begins with 8 km to go. The slope is very irregular, with the maximum gradients (16%) to be hit in the final kilometre. Mick van Dijke is spent with 6.5 km to go. His brother Tim sets the pace all the way to the flamme rouge.
As the road rises dramatically, Vingegaard unleashes his power and takes off to his first Paris-Nice stage win, 41’’ ahead of Martinez. The Dane also takes the leader’s jersey with a gap of 52’’ to his Colombian rival. Fifth on the day, Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) completes the GC top 3 (+3’20’’), ahead of Vauquelin (+3’39’’).
