2021 Paris-Nice: Stage 4 Results

Vuelta a Espana champion Primoz Roglic claimed the overall leader’s yellow jersey in the 2021 Paris-Nice by winning the fourth stage, a 188-km hilly ride between Chalon-sur-Saone and Chiroubles on Wednesday.

The Slovenian, who also finished runner-up in last year’s Tour de France after cracking in the final time trial, powered away from the pack in the final ascent, a 7.3-km climb at an average gradient of 6%.

German Maximilian Schachmann took second place and France’s Guillaume Martin finished third, both crossing the line 12 seconds behind Jumbo-Visma rider Roglic.

“I am very happy with the result”, Roglic said. “Yesterday we already showed that we are in good shape. The course suited me well today with all the short climbs. It was tough, but thanks to the team it worked out in the end. We controlled the race and at the end I still had enough energy in my legs to get away. It feels good that I’m now wearing yellow in Paris-Nice. The goal is to keep the lead until Nice. We’re not there yet, but the team is strong. I am looking forward to the next stages in which we want to maintain this flow.”

Sports director Grischa Niermann saw his team perform well. “Today actually went as planned. We knew other teams would be watching us. We would have liked to have more men in the front in the final, but as a team we had to do a lot of work today. Everyone did well in the end, allowing Primoz to go for the win in the last three kilometres. It was a bit tense in the last kilometer, but he showed again today that he is currently the strongest in this field.”

Giro d’Italia champion Tao Geoghegan Hart abandoned the race after crashing in the descent from the Mont Brouilly some 15 kilometres from the finish.

His Ineos-Grenadiers team, who had already lost Australian Richie Porte in a crash during the opening stage, said the Briton was heading to hospital “for further assessment”.

“His front wheel slipped and he landed on his face, his head and his knee pretty bad and he felt a bit dizzy. So it was the right decision to stop him,” Ineos-Grenadiers sports director Gabriel Rasch said.

“Landed on my head today. Thank you @INEOSGrenadiers & the medical team for putting my long-term welfare first when it was clear I wasn’t 100%,” Geoghegan Hart wrote on Twitter.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) this year introduced a concussion protocol, which states that a rider’s condition must be assessed before they are allowed to get back on their bike after a suspected concussion.

Overall, Roglic leads Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) by 35 seconds and American Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates) by 37.

Thursday’s fifth stage takes the peloton over 200 kilometres from Vienne to Bollene.