Jonas Vingegaard takes the lead after grueling chaotic stage in Paris-Nice

Jonas Vingegaard won the grueling and chaotic fourth stage of Paris-Nice. After many of his rivals lost time due to crashes, bad luck, and echelons, the Dane settled matters on the final climb by dropping Daniel Felipe Martinez and Tim van Dijke. Yellow jersey wearer Juan Ayuso crashed and had to withdraw in great pain. Vingegaard took over the lead.

The fourth stage of Paris-Nice was a tough hilly ride of 195 kilometers with over 2500 meters of elevation gain. Most of the climbing came in the last 70 kilometers, which consisted of constant ups and downs. The first climb was the Côte de la Croix des Cerisiers (6.2 km at 4.3%), followed by the Côte de la Croix de la Libération (4.6 km at 5.3%), and finally the irregular final ascent to Uchon (8 km at 4.5%). The last kilometer was particularly steep, averaging 12.8%.

The first part of the stage was flat, but the approach to the hill section was far from boring. Echelons formed shortly after the start due to the wind, breaking the peloton apart. The first group of about forty riders included many general classification contenders, including Jonas Vingegaard and race leader Juan Ayuso. Lenny Martinez was initially in the front group but then fell off. Kévin Vauquelin, second in the overall standings, missed the split entirely. The gap of his group hovered between one and two minutes for quite some time.

Crash involving Onley, Hoole, and Van Lerberghe
Many of Vauquelin’s teammates were up front, but Oscar Onley, Samuel Watson, and Joshua Tarling were involved in a crash roughly one hundred kilometers from the finish. The INEOS Grenadiers riders managed to continue, unlike fellow crash victims Daan Hoole and Bert Van Lerberghe, who had to abandon. The Dutch and Belgian riders were forced out of the race.

The situation between the first two groups remained relatively stable until the Côte de la Croix des Cerisiers. There, Vauquelin and Martinez tried to bridge across together with about ten other riders, while Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe worked to prevent it. The German team led by Daniel Felipe Martinez kept the pace high at the front.

Ayuso withdraws
Meanwhile, Onley suffered a mechanical issue. Tarling waited for him to help him catch back on, but the front didn’t slow down, leaving the two Brits behind. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck in misfortune because there was another crash in the lead group—this time with serious consequences. Race leader Ayuso was down. The Spaniard tried to continue but couldn’t, having to abandon in great pain.

The crash broke up the lead group. Up front, Vingegaard was left alone with four riders from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe: Martinez, Tim van Dijke, Mick van Dijke, and Nico Denz. The five started the Côte de la Croix de la Liberation with a solid fifty-second lead over the chasers, where Tarling and Onley had rejoined. Vauquelin’s group was now two and a half minutes back. That gap was gone.

Approaching the final climb to Uchon, the gap grew further. On this climb, the front group was down to four riders after Denz had dropped off. Next to lose contact was Mick van Dijke. Tim van Dijke then controlled the pace until the brutally steep final kilometer. Under the red banner, Vingegaard launched his acceleration. Martinez had no reply. The Colombian had to stay with his teammate Van Dijke while Vingegaard soloed to the stage win and the yellow jersey.