After months of waiting and several early setbacks, Jonas Vingegaard is finally set to return to racing. The start of Paris-Nice 2026 marks the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader’s long-awaited season debut after a winter disrupted by crashes and illness.
For cycling fans, the Race to the Sun therefore brings not only the first major stage race battle of the spring but also the return of one of the sport’s biggest stars. And when a rider who has twice beaten Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France lines up, expectations inevitably follow.
Despite not racing since October 2025, when he abandoned the European Championships, the Dane arrives at Paris-Nice with the kind of status that immediately makes him one of the favourites for the overall classification. But returning after five months away from competition is never straightforward, and several strong rivals will be looking to take advantage.
With only one summit finish on the route, stage 7 to Auron, alongside plenty of medium mountain terrain and a decisive team time trial, the fight for the yellow jersey could be more open than usual.
Here are four of the riders most capable of challenging Vingegaard at Paris-Nice 2026.
1. Juan Ayuso
The new Lidl-Trek leader appears to be the most obvious rival to Vingegaard heading into the race. Ayuso arrives in strong form after winning the overall classification at the 2026 Volta ao Algarve, where he also claimed victory on the final stage and delivered impressive performances throughout the week.
A strong time triallist and explosive puncheur, Ayuso could prove particularly dangerous on the medium mountain terrain that dominates much of this year’s route. If Lidl-Trek perform well in the team time trial and Ayuso begins to collect time bonuses, the gap ahead of the decisive climb to Auron could quickly become significant.
2. Oscar Onley (and INEOS Grenadiers)
Another serious contender is Oscar Onley, the headline signing for INEOS Grenadiers ahead of the 2026 season.
The 23-year-old Brit began his campaign at the Volta ao Algarve, where he finished fourth overall, only 23 seconds behind Almeida. That performance offered an early glimpse of the level he could bring to his new team.
INEOS may also play the numbers game. Alongside Onley, both Kevin Vauquelin and Carlos Rodriguez are capable of challenging for the general classification, giving the British team multiple tactical options across the week.
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3. Mattias Skjelmose
Lidl - Trek arrive with another major contender in Mattias Skjelmose, who will race Paris-Nice with the same ambition as team-mate Ayuso.
Rather than establishing a clear leader, the race is expected to serve as an early test of how the pair can function together before potentially sharing responsibilities later in the season.
Skjelmose’s strengths as a puncheur could prove particularly valuable on the rolling terrain that features heavily in this year’s route.
Vingegaard's compatriot Mattias Skjelmose will be one of the Visma leader's biggest rivals at Paris-Nice 2026
4. Daniel Martinez
Finally, Daniel Martinez represents a more unpredictable threat. The Colombian finished on the podium at the 2024 Giro d’Italia and is aiming to rediscover that level with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.
Paris-Nice could offer the ideal stage to demonstrate that he remains capable of competing for major results. With team-mates such as Aleksandr Vlasov, Laurence Pithie, Mick van Dijke and Nico Denz alongside him, Martinez has the support required to shape the race if his form allows.
Of course, these five riders are far from the only contenders. INEOS Grenadiers also have strong options in Kevin Vauquelin and Carlos Rodriguez, while riders such as Lenny Martinez and Harold Tejada will also aim to challenge for the yellow jersey.
With a balanced route and several major stage race specialists on the startlist, Paris-Nice 2026 looks set to deliver one of the most competitive early-season battles of the year.
Jorge BorregueroWriter
Jorge Borreguero is a journalist with a degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a writer for Cyclinguptodate and Ciclismoaldia since early 2023. In this role, he has played a key part in the evolution of the website, particularly as a specialist covering Movistar Team. He regularly writes race reports, analytical pieces, and in-depth features about the team, and has conducted exclusive interviews and attended multiple team presentations, providing readers with firsthand insights into one of the leading professional cycling squads.
Throughout his career, Jorge has maintained a strong focus on sports journalism, gaining experience across a variety of disciplines, including basketball and football. However, his current work is almost entirely dedicated to cycling, contributing extensively to Ciclismoaldia and its sister website Cyclinguptodate. For these platforms, he combines thorough research with detailed reporting to deliver high-quality content, ranging from race previews and results to expert analysis of teams and riders.
Jorge’s reporting is marked by accuracy, depth, and a commitment to providing readers with reliable and authoritative information. His direct engagement with teams, athletes, and events ensures that his coverage reflects firsthand knowledge and professional insight. Through his work, he has established himself as a trusted voice in professional cycling journalism, bridging the gap between the sport and its global audience while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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