Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory at the fourth degree of Paris-Nice on Wednesday, laying down a marker towards his nice rival Jonas Vingegaard on the first summit degree end of the European season.
The win took the Slovenian to the highest of the overall classification, even supposing he admitted afterwards that he had now not expected taking the lead on Wednesday. “It was not in my mind to take yellow today, but you don’t say no to yellow, and it’s nice to be back,” Pogacar mentioned.
With two flat levels and a staff time-trial in the back of them, the 164.7km fourth degree – with a last climb of 6.8km at a mean gradient of seven% – gave the impression set to come back right down to a combat between the Slovenian Pogacar, the 2020 and 2021 Tour de France winner, and Vingegaard, the younger Dane who took the yellow jersey in 2022.
And certainly as the street sloped up in opposition to La Loge des Gardes, Vingegaard attacked with simply over 4km to the road. Pogacar used to be fast to near the transient hole and the pair eased off their assault to glide again to the main crew. That allowed France’s David Gaudu to become independent from himself and threatened to disillusioned the percentages.
Pogacar, although, used to be again at the offensive with simply over 2km to trip, abruptly remaining down Gaudu and growing an opening to Vingegaard which the Jumbo-Visma rider may now not shut.
Pogacar shook Gaudu from his wheel within the ultimate metres, profitable by way of 10 seconds and crucially completing 43 seconds forward of Vingegaard, who in the end completed 6th in the back of Gino Mader, Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Kevin Vauquelin.
The outcome took Pogacar to the highest of the GC standings, with Gaudu 2nd and Vingegaard 3rd. Simon Yates sits fourth.
“It was chaos all day,” mentioned Pogacar. “I’m a bit of bit shocked [that Vingegaard’s challenge behind him failed], In the top it used to be truly difficult and he simply ignored a bit of bit to catch me and cracked a bit of bit.”