Paris-Nice stage 4 LIVE – Kévin Vauquelin and Lenny Martinez both trail after crosswinds blows race apart

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Conditions are horrible out there, with rain also falling.

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

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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.

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

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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!

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The riders are the start, wrapped up warm.

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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.

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The riders are on the move through the neutralised zone.

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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.

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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.