'Strip act' "would have been spectacular" - Jonas Vingegaard's long bib choice was carefully planned and executed on hellish Paris-Nice day

One of the most dramatic and incredible days of racing of the year, Paris-Nice stage 4, is going down also as the day where performance won by a mile over fashion. Jonas Vingegaard took the stage win whilst wearing a second pair of bibs over his winter jersey; but he and Victor Campenaerts reveal how they planned it through and planned it remove it during the stage.

With the temperatures incredibly low, the wind very strong and the rain falling heavily, the fourth day of racing in France was a test for all riders when it came to their clothing choices. In a sport that is increasingly more technological and detail-oriented, the stage from Bourges to Uchon put the riders' basic skills to the test.

But it also gave way to innovation, albeit an unlikely one. Team Visma | Lease a Bike and more specifically Jonas Vingegaard planned a very specific clothing strategy for the stage, so as to remain as dry and warm as possible through the hellish weather conditions.

Whilst many focused on Vingegaard's use of a set of long bib pants, these were not originally meant to be worn during the finale of the stage. But the reason why they were was the constant pressure and speed throughout the sstage, not the lack of planning.

In fact, there was a very carefully thought out plan beforehand, which included the cutting and specific positioning of the extra set of bibs that were over Vingegaard's racing shorts.

"Yeah, well, the story is quite easy. Victor [Campenaerts] and I were a bit afraid two days ago, because, yeah, we still had bad memories from last year,” the Dane said at the start of stage 5. “So we decided both of us to go with the winter pants, and I asked Victor to take out the chamois of my pants, and then the rest I did myself, I cut it all the way open with only a small part left.”

Extra bibs, rain jackets, arm warmers... Everything was used to combat the cold and rain. It worked out, and in the final hour Vingegaard shed several layers of clothes. But not the winter bib pants, as the Dane was isolated from his teammates.

But how was Vingegaard supposed to remove them on the go? “The plan was that we could rip it together and then take it off," he shares. "But yeah, well, the Red Bull guys, especially the [Mick and Tim] van Dijke brothers and Nico Denz, thought otherwise, so there was no time to take it off".

Victor Campenaerts shared that he was supposed to have originally helped Vingegaard with his plan to change attire towards the end of the stage. "I could have really helped with that strip act. That would have been spectacular and would have made the performance even more special," he joked. "But luckily Jonas didn't have cold legs".

Fashion did not win on the day but it was ultimately the best choice towards performance, as it seems to be unanimously agreed. The lightweight Dane thrived under conditions where many suffered deeply, and has put on such a strong performance positioning wise and climbing wise that he virtually secured the overall win of the French race.

Perhaps for that reason, the bibs may not be thrown out, but kept as a souvenir. “Who knows how I'm not gonna throw them out, that's for sure. So maybe I'll keep them and, maybe on Saturday already, I have to use them," he says in advance. "I don't know, but at least then I will also take them to my next race, for sure".