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How Jonas Vingegaard destroyed his rivals at 2026 Paris-Nice

Jonas Vingegaard destroyed his rivals at the 2026 Paris–Nice by unleashing one of the most brutal long-range mountain attacks the race has seen in years — a 20 km solo move on Stage 5 that no GC contender could follow.

His dominance was already visible on the Stage 4 summit finish, but Stage 5 was the knockout blow. Here’s the full breakdown, grounded in the reporting from the race.

He Hit the Race With Back-to-Back Mountain Wins

Vingegaard first took control on Stage 4, winning the summit finish at Uchon in freezing, slippery conditions. This put him into yellow and set the stage for the real destruction the next day.

VIDEO: 2026 Paris-Nice Stage 4 Highlights

The Decisive Moment: A 20 km Solo Attack on Stage 5

Stage 5 is where he broke the race. The favourites’ group caught the remnants of the breakaway on the Côte de Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. Victor Campenaerts, who had been in the break, dropped back to help position Vingegaard perfectly. With ~20 km to go, Vingegaard launched a violent acceleration on the steepest part of the climb. No rival could follow — not Martínez, not the Van Dijke brothers, not Jorgenson. Once he was gone, the gap only grew.

Multiple outlets described it as a devastating long-range attack that immediately ended the GC suspense.

No One Could Respond

His climbing numbers were simply superior. The Côte de Saint-Jean-de-Muzols is steep and irregular — perfect for a rider who can surge repeatedly. Vingegaard’s accelerations shattered the rhythm of the group. Bora–Hansgrohe and UAE were already on the limit, the pace on the preceding climbs had thinned the GC group to just a handful of riders. When Vingegaard went, everyone else was already red-lining. The weather played into his strengths, cold, wet, and windy conditions — exactly the environment where he historically excels (as seen in his Tour de France mountain raids). His form was peaking after a delayed season start, he had missed the UAE Tour due to illness/injury, meaning Paris–Nice was his first race in five months — and he arrived fresh and hungry.

The Aftermath: GC Over

By the finish in Colombier-le-Vieux, Vingegaard had won Stage 5 solo, taken his second consecutive stage win, extended his GC lead to a margin that effectively ended the race and even when he crashed on Stage 6, he still held yellow — a sign of how decisive Stage 5 had been.

VIDEO: 2026 Paris-Nice Stage 5 Highlights