Paris-Nice 2026: Jonas Vingegaard wins a 4th epic stage

This Wednesday, March 11th marked a turning point in the 2026 Paris-Nice. Between Bourges and Uchon, the race in the sun whose rays we didn’t see exhausted the riders. Between surprises and plot twists, it was ultimately Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease a Bike) who triumphed.

A grueling stage. That’s what the riders experienced from the start of this 4th day of Paris-Nice. In very difficult weather conditions, with wind and rain, many of the competitors lost out throughout the 195 km between Bourges (Cher) and Uchon (Saône-et-Loire). A very steep course with, as a finale, an 8 km climb at an average of 4.5%.

From the second kilometer, due to the wind and the impetus of Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe’s Daniel Felipe Martinez and Visma Lease a Bike’s Jonas Vingegaard, a split formed. About forty riders broke away at the front, trapping many others. Among them, Frenchmen Kévin Vauquelin (Ineos Grenadiers), winner of yesterday’s team time trial, and Cannes native Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious). Despite good cooperation, the two men lost any chance of winning this 84th edition of Paris-Nice and will aim for the podium.

Throughout the day, the men who had made headlines since the start fell back. This was the case for Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost), winner of the first stage. At the front, the favorite teams did their work, notably Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe who set a relentless pace, testing all the riders present at the front. The speed and conditions led to crashes.

Lenny Martinez and Kévin Vauquelin haven’t lost everything

First major loser among the favorites: Oscar Onley, who crashed and lost contact after a second bike change. A few kilometers later, another crash caught one of the big favorites, the yellow jersey wearer, Juan Ayuso. The Spaniard got back up immediately before collapsing on the ground a few meters further, unable to pedal. Injured on the thigh, the Lidl-Trek leader remained lying on the roadside waiting for an ambulance. Brandon McNulty also crashed, as did the 2018 edition winner, Marc Soler, for UAE Team Emirates.

Result: only a few men remained at the front, including the big favorite Jonas Vingegaard and Daniel Felipe Martinez, well protected by his team throughout the day. This 2026 Paris-Nice was therefore going to come down to a duel between two men we somewhat expected. Everything came down to the final climb to Uchon. A very irregular climb with the last kilometer at over 12%.

While the two men climbed at a strong pace at the front, the Frenchmen who hadn’t given up behind managed to catch up with small scattered groups to get back in the race. Kévin Vauquelin took on his role as leader of the Ineos Grenadiers team after Oscar Onley’s collapse, despite being protected for many kilometers. Behind, Lenny Martinez and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ United) also made their mark against all odds, seeing the riders ahead of them collapse one by one.

At the front, the battle was settled at the red flag. And unsurprisingly, it was the two-time Tour de France winner who imposed himself at the summit. The Dane left his last two companions of the day, Daniel Felipe Martinez and Tim Van Dijke (Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe), behind. Jonas Vingegaard signed his first stage victory on Paris-Nice. He also takes the yellow leader’s jersey with a 53-second lead over Daniel Felipe Martinez.

It took more than three minutes before Kévin Vauquelin, ultimately 6th on the stage, crossed the line. Lenny Martinez, not far behind (7th), also limited the damage well by finishing just behind at 4’05 from the winner, ahead of David Gaudu.

All is not lost for the French riders who will compete for the podium at the finish in Nice. Now they’ll need to recover well before the big day awaiting the riders tomorrow between Cormoranche-sur-Saône and Colombier-le-Vieux (205.4 kilometers).