Snow, cut and final chaos: Godon conquers stage 7 of Paris-Nice

The seventh stage of the Paris-Nice 2026 ended up being a very different scenario than expected and ended up rewarding Dorian Godon. The Frenchman from INEOS Grenadiers triumphed in Isola after a sprint from a reduced group, in a day conditioned by the weather, shortened to just 47 kilometers and marked by falls at various moments of the day, including a pile-up in the final approach that heightened the tension even more before the finish line.

Godon resolves the strangest stage 7 of the Paris-Nice amidst snow, shortening, and final tension

Far from the great mountain stage that was initially expected, the day was reduced to a short and explosive effort, always with a slight upward trend, with snow as a backdrop at the finish. This new layout completely changed the profile of the battle for victory. Climbers lost an important opportunity, and fast riders with good endurance gained much more prominence.

In this context, INEOS read the outcome better than anyone else. The British team was seen at the front in the decisive kilometers and launched Godon with precision to finish the job in the final stretch. The French champion was the strongest in the sprint and beat Biniam Girmay and Cees Bol, who finished second and third respectively, all with a time of 1:01:48.

RECOMENDADO

What time and how to watch stage 6 of the Tirreno Adriatico 2026

Snow changes Stage 7: Schedule and how to watch the 2026 Paris-Nice

The Colombian Harold Tejada wins stage 6 of the Paris-Nice in Apt

Michael Valgren surprises from the breakaway and wins stage 5 of the Tirreno-Adriatico, Del Toro regains the lead

David Valero debuts the Orbea Oiz and gear for the Cape Epic 2026

Cape Epic 2026: schedule and how to watch the live broadcast

The race, however, was not a simple formality leading to the sprint. Visma Lease a Bike took on much of the control of the peloton to protect Jonas Vingegaard's leadership and keep the stage under surveillance. The most serious attempt came from Tim Marsman, who tried solo more than 30 kilometers from the finish and managed to open a small gap. His adventure, in any case, never reached a decisive difference and ended up neutralized within the last ten kilometers.

Nicolas Vinokurov also tried in the final part, looking to surprise when the peloton was already preparing for the launch. His move also did not succeed, and the resolution was directed towards a short, uphill, and nervous sprint, where positioning was almost as important as speed.

This nervousness translated into incidents. There was already a fall at the neutral start that affected several riders. Further on, 3.5 kilometers from the finish, Jefferson Cepeda and Michel Hessmann went down and were out of any option. And in the final approach to the finish, there was another multiple fall in the front area of the group, an incident that further fragmented the peloton, cut off leader Jonas Vingegaard, and completely disordered the sprint preparation.

With the terrain rising and the race completely altered by the shortening, the finish required power and coolness. Godon responded better than anyone. His victory confirms INEOS's success in an atypical stage, without major climbs but with enough toughness and chaos to select the best positioned and most resilient in the final effort.

Pending to know the real consequences of the final multiple fall, it seems that Jonas Vingegaard's leadership will not be threatened heading into the final stage.

Top 10 of stage 7 of the Paris-Nice 2026

1. Dorian Godon (INEOS Grenadiers) – 1:01:48
2. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) – +00
3. Cees Bol (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) – +00
4. Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – +00
5. Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost) – +00
6. Mike Teunissen (XDS Astana Team) – +00
7. Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – +00
8. Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) – +00
9. Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – +00
10. Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) – +00

Top 10 of the general classification after stage 7 of the Paris-Nice 2026

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – 22h 19’ 54”
2. Daniel Felipe Martínez (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) – at 3’ 22”
3. Georg Steinhauser (EF Education – EasyPost) – at 4’ 34”
4. Kévin Vauquelin (INEOS Grenadiers) – at 4’ 53”
5. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) – at 7’ 37”
6. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) – at 7’ 46”
7. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates XRG) – at 8’ 15”
8. Mathys Rondel (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – at 8’ 50”
9. Alex Baudin (EF Education – EasyPost) – at 11’ 08”
10. Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) – at 12’ 04”