As it happened: Huge time gaps and race left in pieces as crosswinds and crashes affect stage four of Paris-Nice

The Dane takes the stage!

2026-03-11T15:39:34.716Z

Vingegaard is approaching the top, he can see the finish line.

2026-03-11T15:39:04.312Z

Still Tim Van Dijke remains with Martínez.

2026-03-11T15:38:08.392Z

Vingegaard is 500m from home and looking good for both the stage and the yellow jersey.

2026-03-11T15:36:44.517Z

Tim Van Dijke looked like he was done, but now Vingegaard’s attacks he’s gone back to setting the pace for his teammate.

2026-03-11T15:36:06.963Z

He’s got a gap of a few seconds already.

Vingegaard attacks under the flamme rouge!

2026-03-11T15:34:48.466Z

The gradient ramps up for the front group. Surely only a few more peddlestrokes left for Van Dijke.

2026-03-11T15:34:14.254Z

As things stand Dani Martínez and Vingegaard will climb to top two places on GC, with Vauquelin into third, Georg Steinhauser into fourth, Soler fifith and Gaudu sixth.

2026-03-11T15:31:58.491Z

Still Tim Van Dijke leads the front group, just 3km from the finish at the top of the climb.

2026-03-11T15:30:47.058Z

Still with Vauquelin is Gaudu, Soler, Lenny Martinez and Plowright.

That Vauquelin group is still well behind, at 3:20 now.

2026-03-11T15:27:48.750Z

How things have changed – whereas earlier it was Onley well ahead of Vauquelin after the split, now Vauquelin is Ineos’ strongest option again.

2026-03-11T15:27:08.644Z

Behind, Vauquelin is pushing on, and his teammate Onley is among those dropped.

2026-03-11T15:26:37.827Z

The agonising 16% section comes in the final kilometre. Will both Vingeagaad and Martínez wait until then to make a move, or potentially go earlier?

2026-03-11T15:25:30.374Z

Mick Van Dijke is done, leaving just his brother Tim with Vingegaard and Martínez.

2026-03-11T15:24:52.064Z

The way things have shaped up today, the race for the yellow jersey might have already become a two-man contest between Jonas Vingegaard and Dani Martínez. In which case, how they compare on this final climb could be decisive.

2026-03-11T15:22:32.902Z

Still the Van Dijke brothers lead. This has been a sublime show of strength and resilience from them, remaining at the front all day on what has been a brutal war of attrition.

2026-03-11T15:21:36.641Z

The leaders are onto the final climb now.

So the situation as we near the finale of the stage is that we have a four-man lead group of Vingegaard, D. Martinez and the Van Dijke brothers at the head of the race, Georg Steinhauser second on the road all alone at 1:53, and a larger chase group featuring Onley, Vauquelin, Gaudu and Lenny Martinez at three minutes.

2026-03-11T15:18:15.075Z

Only a few kilometres until the start of the final climb. It’s long and irregular, averaging 4.5%, but with a brutal maximum of 16%.

2026-03-11T15:16:39.766Z

This newly-formed chase group is still miles behind the leaders, however. Their a whole 2:55 behind, a gap that continues to rise.

2026-03-11T15:14:31.477Z

The Vauquelin group has now caught the Onley group.

2026-03-11T15:14:08.395Z

Lots of abandonments have now been confirmed – McNulty, Castrillo and Piganzoli.

2026-03-11T15:13:23.991Z

The Vauquelin chasers are only about 15 seconds behind the Onley group. It seems they’ll soon come together.

2026-03-11T15:12:21.443Z

An update on Juan Ayuso.

The Onley group are going backwards. They’re now 2 minutes behind the leaders, with the Vauquelin group bearing down on them just 30 seconds behind.

2026-03-11T15:06:27.527Z

Here are the updated KOM standings:

1 Casper Pedersen 18 points

2 Mathis Le Berre 14

3 Mick Van Dijke 8

2026-03-11T15:05:07.097Z

Georg Steinhauser is between the front and Onley group. He must have gone clear of the latter earlier on the climb.

Mick Van Dijke leads the front quartet over the climb. None of these riders are interested in the KOM points.

2026-03-11T15:02:04.380Z

Gaudu and Plowright are the two riders with Tarling and Onley.

2026-03-11T15:01:09.796Z

Onley is with Tarling and two others, who have gone clear from the rest of that chase group.

2026-03-11T14:59:38.548Z

Way down the road, Vauquelin, Lenny Martinez and Marc Soler have gone clear from the rest of the riders in their group as they climb this hill.

2026-03-11T14:56:24.821Z

The chase group is on the climb too, over a minute behind. Onley is struggling to keep the wheels of some ahead of him – are all of the crashes, mechanicals and chasing he’s endured today taking its toll?

2026-03-11T14:53:38.835Z

The leaders are on the climb, and Denz is dropped having done a heap of work on behalf of his teammates.

2026-03-11T14:52:32.670Z

They will be climing again soon, up the Côte de la Croix de la Liberation. Though its average is only 5.4% for 4.7km, that takes into account a brief downhill halfway up. The final 2.5km rise at 7.3%.

2026-03-11T14:51:34.325Z

This is all that’s left of the front group leading the race.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The front group’s lead over the chasers is getting bigger. It’s at 52 seconds. And the Vauquelin group is even further adrift, at 2:30. This has been absolute carnage.

2026-03-11T14:48:40.152Z

Vingegaard takes 6 seconds, Martínez 4 seconds in 2nd, and Denz 2 seconds in third.

2026-03-11T14:48:02.299Z

Vingegaard takes it, slipping clear of all four Red Bull riders to take the maximum seconds on offer.

2026-03-11T14:47:06.833Z

The leaders are coming to the intermediate sprint.

2026-03-11T14:46:26.835Z

The Onley group is a large one, but it doesn’t seem as though many GC contenders are in it. It’s mostly made up of rouleurs.

2026-03-11T14:45:23.314Z

Oscar Onley and his two-man Ineos train of Tarling and Watson have caught a group ahead of them. They are now second on the road, 40 seconds behind the leading 5.

2026-03-11T14:41:39.490Z

An intermediate sprint is coming up in about 5km. There’s a chance for both Martínez and Vingegaard to gain some bonus seconds.

2026-03-11T14:40:53.535Z

The five riders left in the front group are: the Red Bull quartet of Dani Martínez, Nico Denz, Tim Van Dijke and Mick Van Dijke, plus Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard.

It’s been confirmed that Juan Ayuso has dropped out of the race. That’s devastating news given the form he’s been in, and how well this stage was shaping up for him.

2026-03-11T14:38:43.634Z

And now Vacek is dropped out of it.

2026-03-11T14:38:29.868Z

Thornely has been dropped out of the front group, leacing just 6 riders in it.

2026-03-11T14:37:49.939Z

The race is in pieces now. A 7-man front group leads, with other stragglers trying to join them. An Ineos chase trio of Onley, Tarling and Watson are about 30 seconds behind, while the Vauquelin chase group is about 1:30 behind.

2026-03-11T14:34:58.783Z

The front group could be about to get bigger, as some of those held up in the crash have them back within sight.

2026-03-11T14:31:58.450Z

In fact, those seven riders are the only ones left in the front group. We didn’t see the crash, but it must have been a big one.

2026-03-11T14:31:08.752Z

Red Bull continue to lead the front group with what looks like the same five riders all there. Vingegaard is also OK and still in this group, as is Vacek.

2026-03-11T14:30:24.369Z

Romeo is another rider to have gone down. He’s back on his bike and riding, but his shorts are torn.

2026-03-11T14:29:41.559Z

Ayuso is back off his bike, and looks set to abandon.

2026-03-11T14:29:24.063Z

The lead group is much smaller now. There ca’t be much more than 15 riders in it.

2026-03-11T14:29:06.019Z

Ayuso is back on his bike, but looks in a bad way.

2026-03-11T14:28:49.473Z

Race leader Ayuso has also gone down!

Crash in the lead group, a few riders held up, including McNulty.

2026-03-11T14:27:24.953Z

Vauquelin is getting increasingly desperate. He’s attacked out of the chase group alone.

50 seconds remains the gap between the leaders and the chase group, with Onley and Tarling stranded almost halfway in between.

2026-03-11T14:25:05.729Z

The terrain goes gradually downhill for a while until the next, and penultimate, hill of the day, the category two Côte de la Croix de la Liberation.

2026-03-11T14:23:38.789Z

Onley and Tarling have work to do. They’re 20 seconds behind the lead group, and only 30 secods ahead of the Vauquelin chase group.

2026-03-11T14:22:12.422Z

Behind, the Vauquelin chase group has been to reduced to about 15 riders. They’re reduced their gap a little to the leaders, but it remains at 50 seconds.

2026-03-11T14:21:05.217Z

Mecanical for Oscar Onley. He’s chasing back to the front group now with teammate Tarling.

2026-03-11T14:20:36.087Z

Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe are doing all the work at the front of the leading group, making use of their strength in numbers. With Vlasov not among them, they’re all in for Daniel Martínez.

2026-03-11T14:19:30.499Z

Jonas Vingegaard, still safely in the bunch.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Red Bull trio of Mick van Dijke, Callum Thornley and Dani Martínez lead the front group over the summit, with nobody sprinting to challenge them for the KOM points.

2026-03-11T14:14:50.839Z

The lead group are about to summit the climb.

Having brought the gap down to 50 seconds, the chasing group aren’t making any more inroads during the latter part of this climb.

2026-03-11T14:12:09.940Z

Lotto’s Joshua Giddings is the latest rider dropped from the front group as they near the summit.

2026-03-11T14:10:27.225Z

Lenny Martinez is also helping Vauquelin, and they’ve brought the lead group back within 50 seconds.

2026-03-11T14:09:20.296Z

Vauquelin is taking it upon himself to lead the chase group on the climb. His Paris-Nice hopes could be slipping away unless he can get back into that front group soon.

2026-03-11T14:08:09.681Z

Meanwhile Ayuso is down to just one Lidl teammate – Mathias Vacek.

2026-03-11T14:07:37.406Z

That leaves Jacobs’ Groupama-FDJ leader David Gaudu isolated.

2026-03-11T14:07:06.828Z

Johan Jacobs is the latest rider dropped out of the first group as they continue this climb.

2026-03-11T14:06:04.316Z

The chasing group are using this climb to try and make inroads. And it’s having some effect with the gap reduced to 1:10.

2026-03-11T14:04:58.919Z

Some riders are suffering under the pace being set by Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe on this climb. Rune Herregodts of UAE and Jakob Söderqvist of Lidl-Trek have been dropped.

2026-03-11T14:03:41.394Z

Although many of the riders in this front group are prioritising the GC, there’s a chance for others to go for the KOM points on offer at the top of this climb. The current leader in the classification, Casper Pedersen, is missing from this group, as is the only other man with more than 3 points, Mathis Le Berre.

2026-03-11T13:59:28.156Z

The leaders begin the climb, with an even bigger gap – they now have 1:40 over the chasers

2026-03-11T13:55:54.173Z

Just a few kilometres before they begin the Côte de la Croix des Cerisiers. It’s a sustained effort, lasting 6.2km, but averages only 4.1%.

The gap’s getting bigger. As they near the foot of the first climb, it’s up to 1:30. The chasers will be desperate to reverse that once they start climbing.

2026-03-11T13:47:10.012Z

The race will soon change in character, as the terrain becomes more hilly, beginning with the first climb of the day, the category three Côte de la Croix des Cerisiers, about 10km away.

If the gap between the leading and chasing group is smaller by then, GC men like Vauquelin and Martinez might fancy their chances of bridging it by attacking on the favourable uphill. But so long as it remains at a minute, that seems unlikely.

The gap remains at one minute. We’re deep into the stage, but still the battle between the groups rages on.

2026-03-11T13:36:51.117Z

A reminder that we also have live coverage of the Tirreno-Adriatico stage today, where the rain is falling as well.

The chase group is beginning to get somewhere again. They’ve brought their deficit to the front group back to one minute.

2026-03-11T13:27:25.045Z

The gap between the first and second group has grown some more, to 1:30.

2026-03-11T13:16:37.753Z

This stage is turning into significant whiplash from the highs of yesterday for Ineos Grenadiers. Then, DS Geraint Thomas was celebrating what felt like a turning point for the team.

There’s a crash in the front group, and big names are involved. Onley and Hoole included.

2026-03-11T13:07:16.194Z

Oscar Onley, who’s safely in the front group, unlike his teammate Kévin Vauquelin. If these two groups don’t come back together, then he will become Ineos’ outright leader for the GC.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The gap is growing out again, to 1:20. The second group is having a real hard time of dragging themselves back into contention. And they’re running out of time, too – we’re almost halfway into the stage already

2026-03-11T12:57:24.394Z

This was the thrilling moment right at the start of the day when the peloton first split apart in the weather.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T12:55:46.385Z

Clément Russo has been dropped out of the front group, leaving his Groupama leader David Gaudu with just one teammate, Johan Jacobs.

Momentum is shifting. The second group are beginning to claw their way back to the first, and have them back to within 1:05. Vauquelin, Martinez and co. might yet be able to save their races.

2026-03-11T12:49:41.738Z

The rain is making this an especially grim day of racing for the riders.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T12:48:05.240Z

Jonas Vingegaard managed to make the split, but only has one Visma-Lease a Bike teammate with him (Edoardo Affini). After a team time trial performance that fell short of their high expectations, it hasn’t been the best start for the team at this Paris-Nice.

The relentless pace of this stage is not letting up, with the second group desperate to make it back to the first. But there’s enough riders riding in the front group to keep them at bay, and the gap between them is growing bigger – now up to 1:45.

The gaps are remaining steady, with 1:25 separating the first two groups, and the third at three minutes.

2026-03-11T12:23:47.324Z

The wind has made for a very fast opening to this stage – they’ve only been racing for an hour, yet have already completed 53km.

2026-03-11T12:19:22.848Z

Remember, this isn’t the only bike race taking place today – over in Italy, it’s the third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. We’re bringing you all of the action live here.

Still the second group isn’t making inroads, remaining 1:15 behind. The third group is going backwards, now 3 minutes adrift.

2026-03-11T12:14:10.964Z

The teams best represented in the front group, each with at least four riders, are Uno-X Mobility, Movistar, Ineos and Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe – although the latter two are missing GC men Vauquelin and Vlasov respectively.

2026-03-11T12:11:13.942Z

This is all that’s left of the front peloton.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T12:08:16.551Z

Vlasov’s Red Bull teammate Dani Martínez is in the lead group, however, as well as Brandon McNulty, David Gaudu and Ivan Romeo.

2026-03-11T12:06:58.116Z

There are about 40 riders in the lead group, containing most of the main GC men. Vauquelin and Martinez are missing, and there is no sign of Vlasov.

The situation is looking bad for the trailing groups. The second with Vauquelin is 1:15 behind, and the third is 1:45.

2026-03-11T12:01:09.483Z

The front group, being led here by Juan Ayuso’s Lidl-Trek team.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T11:58:05.487Z

Weather could continue to be a factor throughout this Paris-Nice. There are growing fears that the key mountain stage at the weekend is under threat.

The gaps between the groups are getting bigger! There’s now 45 seconds between the first and second, and 1:10 between the first and third.

2026-03-11T11:48:15.942Z

Oscar Onley is in the front group, here with his teammate Josh Tarling.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T11:43:07.223Z

Jonas Vingegaard and Juan Ayuso are both in the front group.

Less than 20km into the stage, and already there’s carnage. The front group leads a second containing Lenny Martinez by 25 seconds, a third group containing Kévin Vauquelin by 45 seconds, an a fourth group by 1:10.

2026-03-11T11:40:50.253Z

Lenny Martinez has also been dropped. He’s in the second group.

2026-03-11T11:38:25.235Z

The man second place on GC, Kévin Vauquelin, is among those dropped! He’s down in the third group on the road.

2026-03-11T11:37:33.431Z

Here’s what it looks like on the road – the race is in pieces already.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T11:35:44.188Z

No word yet of any of the top GC contenders being caught out, though King of the Mountains Casper Pedersen is in on of the trailing groups.

2026-03-11T11:33:40.093Z

For now, the gaps between the groups are being measured in seconds, with 10 seconds between the first two, and the others less than 40 seconds back. But those caught out are in danger of being dumped out of contention if this continues.

2026-03-11T11:32:11.737Z

About 40 riders are in the front peloton, including Juan Ayuso in the yellow jersey.

2026-03-11T11:31:35.059Z

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T11:30:39.883Z

Conditions are horrible out there, with rain also falling.

2026-03-11T11:30:12.966Z

There are splits already! The peloton has fractured into four groups.

2026-03-11T11:29:47.815Z

The wind also appears to be blowing from the south, which, considering that most of the stage is in a eastwards direction, is ample conditions for crosswinds.

2026-03-11T11:28:35.989Z

It’s a fast start, and the wind is blowing – echelons are very much on the cards today!

2026-03-11T11:27:57.531Z

Three riders have pulled out of the race overnight – Piet Allegaert, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, and Eddie Dunbar, who would have hope to have ridden a good GC at this race.

And they’re off!

2026-03-11T11:24:07.699Z

The riders are the start, wrapped up warm.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-11T11:21:53.924Z

It’s a cold one today, with the temperature down to 10 degrees. And, crucially, there’s also a stronger breeze than in previous stages – something that could be a factor during the 100km-or-so of flat roads that opens the stage.

2026-03-11T11:20:15.864Z

The riders are on the move through the neutralised zone.

2026-03-11T11:14:09.853Z

Whereas yesterday saw significant time gaps related to how well each contender’s teams went, today will be the first time they take each other on mano y mano on an uphill finish. And though the vital stats (8km at 4.5%) of final climb at Uchon might make it sound modest, that belies just how steep it gets – its maximum gradient is 16%, which is sure to gaps between them with the strongest coming to the fore.

2026-03-11T11:07:47.106Z

Yesterday’s team time trial has transformed the GC, so that the stage is set for the fight for overall victory to really get going today. Ineos Grenadiers took the stage win, but Juan Ayuso just about claimed the overall lead ahead of their duo Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley.