Wednesday’s stage 4 of Paris-Nice took the riders in the professional cycling peloton further south on a route from Vichy to La Loge des Gardes. Race organizer A.S.O. had designed the 163.4-kilometer route as a battle in mountainous terrain and would conclude with a category 1 climb that featured an average gradient of 7.1 percent. The route also included one Category 2 climb and four Category 3 bumps to animate the race.

The stage started as planned and eight riders launched the early break of the day – some hoping to win the stage, others to be able to help their respective team captains in the final part of the stage.

The breakaway group included Ben Swift, Thibault Guernalec, Vincenzo Albanese, Andreas Leknessund, Sylvain Moniquet, Dion Smith, Thomas Gachignard, and Edward Planckaert. The group fought its way to a durable lead.

Tobias Foss and Joshua Tarling later attacked from the main peloton, hoping to bridge the gap to the front group for their Ineos-Grenadiers team. Dion Smith had been dropped from the front group and joined forces with the Ineos-Grenadiers duo.

The stage was neutralized 46 kilometers from the finish line due to adverse weather conditions. It was snowing heavily with partial hailstorms. The riders went on while riding in a neutralized state, until racing resumed with 26 kilometers left. 

Andreas Leknessund launched a solo attack from the breakaway group with 25 kilometers left of the stage. The weather conditions were now rainy and chilly – the roads were slippery.

The other breakaway optimists were now split into multiple groups, dispersed over a time distance of two minutes between Leknessund and the main peloton.

Meanwhile, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) took to the front of the main peloton to set a fast face for his team captain Mattias Skjelmose.

When the race reached the Category One climb to the finish line with seven kilometers left of the race, the front breakaway group featured Tobias Foss, Ben Swift, Joshua Tarling, Andreas Leknessund, Thomas Gachignard, Edward Planckaert, and Thibaut Guernalec.

They had an advantage of forty seconds over the chasing main peloton, still spearheaded by Pedersen.

Riders were dropped from the breakaway group and Tobias Foss went solo for Ineos-Grenadiers when six kilometers remained.

USA’s Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Ben O’Connor (Jayco-Alula), and Aurelien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale) were dropped from the main peloton – likely due to the harsh weather conditions in today’s stage.

Foss remained solo in front with four kilometers left. At this point all other breakaway riders had been swallowed by the chasing main peloton. Would the day bring success to the Ineos-Grenadiers team, or would Foss get caught before the finish line?

Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) attacked from the peloton. Lenny Martinez countered for Bahrain Victorious. Joao Almeida later tried his luck and Jonas Vingegaard held on to his rear wheel. Mattias Skjelmose was also present. The big GC favorites were still together with three kilometers left to climb before the finish line.

Vingegaard attacked for Visma-Lease a bike at the 2.3-kilometer mark. Martinez stuck to his rear wheel. Foss was reeled in and Vingegaard dropped Martinez. Vingegaard was now solo in front with a gap of eight seconds.

Thymen Arensman tried to reel in Vingegaard together with the other GC favorites who were chasing behind Denmark’s Vingegaard.

Joao Almeida caught and passed Vingegaard in the final 100 meters. Almeida won the stage for UAE Team Emirates with a powerful climbing performance. Jonas Vingegaard finished second for Visma-Lease a Bike, while Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) completed the stage podium. Lenny Martinez finished fourth for Bahrain-Victorious.

Jonas Vingegaard is the new leader in the general classification. Matteo Jorgenson is in second place, six seconds behind Vingegaard, while Mattias Skjelmose is 33 seconds behind in third. Almeida is fifth, 37 seconds back.

Thursday’s stage 5 of Paris-Nice 2025 will invite the riders to an additional mountain battle on a 203.3-kilometer route from Saint-Just-en-Chevalet to La Cote-Saint-Andre. The stage profile includes six Category 3 climbs, and the battle will conclude with a Category 2 mountain challenge.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for complete coverage from Paris-Nice 2025.