San Francisco Frontiers - Race to the Sun hit by hail as Vingegaard fires first volley

The final kilometre was reminiscent of the Visma leader's Tour clashes with Tadej Pogacar, and as so often when vying with Almeida's teammate, Vingegaard simply slowed off in the finale to come second by 1sec.

Mattias Skjelmose finished third and French climber Lenny Martinez was fourth, a further second back.

Vingegaard, winner of February's Tour of the Algarve, now leads Paris-Nice from overnight leader Matteo Jorgenson of the USA by 5sec.

Stage four had been slated as the opening salvo of mountain skirmishes on the eight-day 1,209km race with 28 hills, due to its total elevation of 3,100m.

Organisers ordered the peloton to stop about 45km from the scheduled ski resort finish at the Loge des Gardes due to inclement weather.

After long discussions the race restarted with 28.8km to go and a gap of 2min 20sec between the breakaway and the peloton was maintained.

Vingegaard struck his first blow on the final ascent, a 6.7km category 1 climb at 7.1 percent average gradient at La Loge des Gardes.

But Almeida went with him and snuck past the Dane in the final stretch to claim first.

Thursday's stage five features rolling hills again as the race forges south before culminating with a pair of mountain stages in the Riviera backcountry this weekend.

The action should go down to the wire with a chase up the fabled slopes of the Col d'Eze, offering a sweeping view of the French Riviera, before the peloton race full on to the denouement on Nice's Promenade des Anglais.

P.Adams--SFF