![\"COLOMBIER-LE-VIEUX,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fWEoZDLhiMPkuCZAaTEwRR.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\nRefresh <\/p>\n
2026-03-12T13:40:06.557Z<\/p>\n
Having been dumped far out of GC contention yesterday, Romeo has the freedom to chase stage wins, and this kind of parcours should suit him nicely.<\/p>\n
2026-03-12T13:38:41.807Z<\/p>\n
That was a great move by Movistar, who now have leader Iv\u00e1n Romeo in the break, accompanied by two teammates – the man who helped him get there, Lorenzo Milesi, and the man who was already up the road, Jefferson Cepeda.<\/p>\n
2026-03-12T13:37:05.683Z<\/p>\n
Here were the three chasers, before they joined up to the five leaders.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2026-03-12T13:35:40.021Z The eight leader have 1:50. The question now is, who is going to chase? Campanaert’s presence means that the team of the yellow jersey, Visma-Lease a Bike, are no longer obliged to.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:32:16.969Z<\/p>\n The trio have joined the leaders! So we now have a very strong looking group of eight up the road.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:30:31.836Z<\/p>\n Victor Campanaerts is also in the move with the two Movistar riders.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:29:16.929Z<\/p>\n Romeo and his Movistar teammate Milesi are going very well. They’re already just 20 seconds behind the leaders.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:26:08.743Z<\/p>\n Visma-Lease a Bike pulling at the front of the peloton. Given the hilly finale, and the uphill finish, might they be eyeing up a second successive stage win.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:24:29.562Z Vlasov takes the points at the top of the climb, ahead of Cavanga and Prodhomme. As they take on a false flat that comes after the summit, and with 100km left to ride in total, their lead over the peloton is about 1:40.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:22:00.862Z<\/p>\n Ivan Romeo and Lorenzo Milesi has attacked out of the peloton on the climb.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:16:08.900Z<\/p>\n The leaders are on the climb now, as is the peloton, 1:30 behind.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:15:21.539Z<\/p>\n Now the race has settled down a little, it seems a good time to reflect on yesterday\u2019s dramatic stage.<\/p>\n While bad weather is a common factor of this March-time race, rarely has it had such an impact on the GC gaps.The whole race was turned on its head, and the time gaps almost unique in their size compared with editions of Paris-Nice in the modern age.<\/p>\n ‘I finished with nothing left in the legs, we were all dead, I think. Today will remain in my head for a long time’ – Paris-Nice peloton reacts to stage 4’s atrocious weather conditions<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:10:12.293Z<\/p>\n They’re approaching the second climb of the day, the C\u00f4te de Tr\u00e8ves. At 2.4km, it’s as long as the previous effort, but a little steeper at 5.5%.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:08:48.616Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:07:45.308Z The gap between the leaders and peloton has grown a little, up to 1:40.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:06:42.293Z<\/p>\n Steinhauser is back in the bunch, as are multiple other riders who were pulled along by his EF Education-EasyPost teammates.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:03:27.874Z<\/p>\n Some EF teammates have dropped back to try and help make up the 10 second deficit he has to the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:02:14.860Z<\/p>\n Another surprise now as Georg Steinhauser, the man up to third on GC yesterday after an exceptional performance, has also found himself distanced out the back of the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T13:00:58.460Z<\/p>\n The five men up the road, who have formed the day’s break.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:58:23.919Z<\/p>\n Having looked so good yesterday, we can only imagine that Gaudu was suffering from some kind of illness, perhaps as an effect of the horrible weather conditions yesterday. Either way, it’s a bitter disappointment as the Frenchman appeared to be coming into some of his best form for a while.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:57:13.257Z Clearly Gaudu was having serious problems – it’s just been announced that he has abandoned the race.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:56:10.888Z<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Gaudu’s problems continue. He’s still 15 seconds behind the peloton, despite having teammates Johan Jacobs and Cl\u00e9ment Russo to assist him.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:54:46.285Z Visma-Lease a Bike have taken control at the front of the peloton, and aren’t giving them much leeway. They’re keeping the gap at 1:10, despite the fact that nobody in the group is within 15 minutes of Vingegaard’s time on GC.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:49:45.564Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:48:44.647Z<\/p>\n Over a minute now for the five leaders. There are also some chasers in between them and the peloton, but they’re still much closer to the peloton for now.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:43:06.255Z Still the quintet’s lead grows, up to 25 seconds. This might be our break of the day.<\/p>\n As for David Gaudu, he’s slowly making his way back to the peloton, with just 10 seconds left to make up.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:39:17.620Z<\/p>\n Their lead is indeed growing, now up to 20 seconds.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:38:54.415Z<\/p>\n With riders as powerful as time trial specialists Tarling and Cavagna, this group could have a decent chance of at last making the elastic snap, especially as the upcoming kilometres are mostly flat and rolling, before the hills of the finale.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:37:17.101Z<\/p>\n That quintet has a lead of eight seconds for now.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:36:47.434Z<\/p>\n Tarling, Cavagna, Prodhomme and Cepeda are the four riders who have clipped clear with Vlasov.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:36:16.518Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:33:50.343Z<\/p>\n Vlasov pushed on after cresting the climb first, and a few other riders have joined. They’re trying to form a breakaway.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:30:34.891Z Still no breakaway, but the peloton is smaller now after that climb. Gaudu is 15 seconds behind with his teammates – it’s unclear if his is a legs issue, or a mechanical issue.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:29:16.717Z Vlasov was the first rider to the top of the climb, ahead of Nicolya Vinokurov and Nicolas Prodhomme.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:26:30.003Z<\/p>\n This could be a significant development, as Gaudu started the day in fifth overall having done well in the rain yesterday.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:25:44.736Z<\/p>\n There’s a problem here for David Gaudu, who is out the back of the peloton. He has a couple of teammates with him to help pace him.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:24:32.060Z<\/p>\n The fast pace being set on this climb is seeing riders dropped out of the back, including sprinters Phil Bauhaus and Milan Fretin.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:23:39.187Z<\/p>\n Scratch that, it wasn\u2019t so promising after all – all four have now been caught.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:22:45.730Z<\/p>\n Two riders have joined Bissegger and S\u00fctterlin. This is starting to look like a promising break.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:20:18.188Z<\/p>\n S\u00fctterlin and Bissegger and the peloton close behind are approaching the foot of the first climb of the day, the category three C\u00f4te de Lentilly. There are sterner tests to come, but this could help a definitive break form.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:15:10.228Z That’s a powerful duo, but, again, you sense they’ll need some companions for more firepower.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:14:06.004Z<\/p>\n Jasha S\u00fctterlin and Stefan Bissegger are the latet riders to try their luck, and have a lead of about 15 seconds.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:13:13.255Z<\/p>\n Jonas Vingegaard at the start today, looking more dapper than he did in the rain yesterday. His eccentric choice of attire became a talking point yesterday.<\/p>\n ‘You can call me a trendsetter’ \u2013 Mutilated bib tights and backwards jacket help Jonas Vingegaard to victory in Paris-Nice freeze-fest<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:07:22.980Z<\/p>\n The first hour has passed, and it’s been raced at a rapid pace, with over 50km ridden already.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:04:17.966Z<\/p>\n Here’s Pavel Sivakov, just before abandoning the race.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T12:00:38.456Z So still we have no break and a peloton that’s all together, with over 40km already completed.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:59:44.304Z<\/p>\n He didn’t, and Pacher is already back in the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:59:08.352Z<\/p>\n Pacher has a bit of a gap, just over 10 seconds, but will likely need support from others if he’s to stand a chance of staying out there.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:56:00.616Z<\/p>\n Correction – Pacher is on the attack, while Pavel Sivakov is the rider to abandon.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:55:25.233Z<\/p>\n It’s been announced that Quentin Pacher has abandoned the race, becomming the first Groupama-FDJ rider to drop out.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:47:42.426Z<\/p>\n We also have live coverage of today’s Tirreno-Adriatico stage, where, unlike here in France, a breakaway has managed to form.<\/p>\n Tirreno-Adriatico stage 4 LIVE – 12 man break have over three minutes on peloton in the mountains<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:42:03.875Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:37:39.839Z Still no breakaway has been formed. This could be a long, intense battle that continues for a while yet.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:32:53.322Z<\/p>\n King of the Moiuntains Casper Pedersen was part of a small group that also tried to go clear a little earlier, but were’t allowed to. It’s important that he ends up in the day’s break if he’s to stay in the polka-dot jersey.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:30:52.150Z<\/p>\n Kluckers was out there for a couple of kilometres, but has been brought back.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:29:29.181Z<\/p>\n Arthur Kluckers of Tudor is the lastest rider to try and get away.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:28:21.664Z<\/p>\n The Jayco rider who attacekd earlier was Robert Donaldson, but he did not manage to get away.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:25:01.480Z We’re about 15km into the stage, and still no sign of a break forming.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:20:52.551Z<\/p>\n A familiar sight – Jonas Vingegaard back in the yellow jersey.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:17:34.164Z<\/p>\n There’s now a group of riders leading the race, but only with a small lead over a peloton not willing to let them go.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:15:37.095Z<\/p>\n The Australian team has been aggressive throughout this Paris-Nice, and continue to be so despite (now that Ackermann has also pulled out) having lost more riders than any other team.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:13:43.460Z<\/p>\n A Jayco-AlUla rider has made an attack.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:10:30.315Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:07:28.774Z<\/p>\n After all the drama yesterday, and the additional dropouts this morning, we\u2019re left with just 134 riders in the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:05:23.671Z And they’re off!<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T11:01:51.315Z<\/p>\n The peloton is a little lighter than that which finished yesterday\u2019s stage. Three more riders have abandoned overnight – sprinters Pascal Ackermann and Casper van Uden, now surely run out of stage win opportunities, plus Toms Skuji\u0146\u0161, who endured a rough day yesterday.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T10:58:36.060Z<\/p>\n The peloton waiting at the start, enjoying the blue sky.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T10:57:07.347Z<\/p>\n The riders are moving through the neutralised zone. Given the nature of the parcours, and just how few riders and teams are now competing for GC, you can expect a big battle to get into the day’s break right from the flag.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T10:55:32.727Z<\/p>\n We shouldn\u2019t expect the carnage of yesterday\u2019s stage, for one primary reason – the weather. The sun is back out again and the rain has ceased, which will make for a much more pleasant and less hazardous day in the saddle.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T10:51:50.710Z<\/p>\n The consequence of that stage means that it appears the race for GC at Paris-Nice has already come down to a two horse race, between leader Jonas Vingegaard, and the man 52 seconds behind him on GC, Dani Mart\u00ednez. But the nature of the parcours and conditions here means that plenty more twists and turns could yet lie ahead, and, with so many people now so far down on GC, there will surely be a big appetite for attacking, that could engineer some chaotic racing.<\/p>\n 2026-03-12T10:48:39.480Z<\/p>\n When designing this stage, and the overall route of this year\u2019s Paris-Nice, the organisers probably expected things to remain tight and open at the top of the GC. They couldn’t have anticipated what would happen on yesterday\u2019s stage four, where foul weather exploded the race, and now there are only three riders within five minutes of the overall leader.<\/p>\n
\n90KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\nKOM – C\u00d4TE DE TREVES <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/soPeK4sk8r7gcvmVdqAYzU.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n110KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"COLOMBIER-LE-VIEUX,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/89JzqTMvuMSTnyS5eiG3EL.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\nDNF – DAVID GAUDU<\/p>\n
\n120KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/UFx9xD84WyQmXU8sKBVQTk.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n130KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/W8rcJYe2dR72pDeUSkeyP4.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n140KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\nKOM – C\u00d4TE DE LENTILLY <\/p>\n
\n150KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"Team](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5yQrs6YAo4Bo99homN9wzL.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"COLOMBIER-LE-VIEUX,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JTLiSN8bfLmTbfDsMHZrcU.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n160KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"COLOMBIER-LE-VIEUX,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SfTxbRmK4MhqDw9jL32n8L.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n180KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"COLOMBIER-LE-VIEUX,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ibg42wnPJgX4yNC69hXapA.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"COLOMBIER-LE-VIEUX,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Qp3f3KKnDqjhRNB9yJmDaT.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n190KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"CORMORANCHE-SUR-SAONE,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NVwUzM6YTKaXNcYQZsXEdM.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"CORMORANCHE-SUR-SAONE,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MxSSZbZ3z5uU9Pm6deb79k.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\nOFFICIAL START<\/p>\n![\"CORMORANCHE-SUR-SAONE,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/gdjLmzq4Hid5nACTximigK.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n