Vingegaard strikes again in the Paris-Nice and leaves the general classification almost decided

After Juan Ayuso's abandonment yesterday, Jonas Vingegaard continues to turn the Paris-Nice 2026 into a monologue. The Danish rider from Visma Lease a Bike claimed victory on Thursday in the fifth stage, between Cormoranche-sur-Saône and Colombier-le-Vieux, after launching a long-range attack in the most demanding part of the finish and completing the last 20 kilometers solo. It was his second consecutive victory and, moreover, a giant step towards the general classification.

Vingegaard strikes again in the Paris-Nice and leaves the general classification almost decided

The stage, covering 206.3 kilometers, seemed open to a breakaway with options, especially after the enormous fatigue left by Wednesday's stage. However, the yellow jersey team opted not to give too much leeway. Visma kept the race under control for most of the day and increased the pace as the decisive climbs of the final stretch approached.

The outcome began to take shape on the Côte de Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, a short but very tough ascent, with enough gradients to select the group of favorites. There, Victor Campenaerts appeared again, doing the final work before his leader's decisive move. As soon as Vingegaard launched his attack, no one could follow him consistently. Lenny Martinez tried to react at first, but he also couldn't maintain the Danish rider's pace.

From there, the stage was completely shattered. Behind, there was no organized chase, and the attacks among the pursuers ended up benefiting the race leader even more. Vingegaard linked the initial offensive with a subsequent climb and managed the final part without errors, including the last uphill stretch towards the finish line, to arrive solo with a wide lead and even time to celebrate before crossing the line.

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Behind, Valentin Paret-Peintre was the best of the chasing group, securing second place at 2:02, while Harold Tejada completed the podium of the day at 2:20, in a group that also included Lenny Martinez, Ion Izagirre, Daniel Martínez, Kévin Vauquelin, Georg Steinhauser, Mathys Rondel, and Marc Soler.

Beyond the partial victory, the most important news for the race is that Vingegaard comes out even stronger from this fifth stage. After making significant differences the previous day, the leader opened up a gap with authority again and left the impression of being a step above the rest in both strength and race control. Additionally, he accumulated enough points to also take the lead in the mountain classification.

The Paris-Nice now enters a different racing terrain, with a sixth stage favorable for long-range moves and a weekend that, on paper, should decide the general classification. However, given what has happened in the last two days, the fight for the yellow jersey seems already well on its way. Unless something unexpected happens, Vingegaard has the French round under control and with a margin.

Top 10 of stage 5 Paris Nice 2026

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) – 4:29:01
2. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) – at 2:02
3. Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) – at 2:20
4. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) – at 2:20
5. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) – at 2:20
6. Daniel Martínez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – at 2:20
7. Kévin Vauquelin (INEOS Grenadiers) – at 2:20
8. Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) – at 2:20
9. Mathys Rondel (Tudor Pro Cycling) – at 2:20
10. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 2:20