Luis León Sanchez (Astana) kept the leader’s jersey after the fourth stage of the Paris-Nice race as Wout Poels (Team Sky) powered to victory in the 18.5-kilometer time trial around Saint-Etienne.
Sanchez has a 15-second lead over Poels in the general classification, with Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe a further 11 seconds behind in third.
Poels had no problem tackling the small Saint-Heand climb 10.4 kilometers from the finish and looked comfortable on the technical parts of the stage.
Poels was 11 seconds faster than Marc Soler (Movistar). Alaphilippe ended third, 16 seconds adrift.
Thursday’s fifth stage takes the peloton to Sisteron on a hilly 165-kilometer ride featuring four climbs.
Paris-Nice 2018 – stage 4 results (La Fouillouse – Saint-Étienne):
| 1 | Wout Poels (Team Sky) | 25:33 |
| 2 | Marc Soler (Movistar) | +11” |
| 3 | Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) | +16” |
| 4 | Felix Grossschartner (Bora-hansgrohe) | +20” |
| 5 | Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) | +27” |
| 6 | Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) | ,, |
| 7 | Luis León Sanchez (Astana) | +28” |
| 8 | Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) | +29” |
| 9 | Sergio Henao (Team Sky) | +33” |
| 10 | Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) | ,, |
General classification after stage 4:
| 1 | Luis León Sanchez (Astana) | 13:47:57 |
| 2 | Wout Poels (Team Sky) | +15” |
| 3 | Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) | +26” |
| 4 | Marc Soler (Movistar) | ,, |
| 5 | Gorka Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) | +34” |
| 6 | Felix Grossschartner (Bora-hansgrohe) | +35” |
| 7 | Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) | +42” |
| 8 | Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) | ,, |
| 9 | Sergio Henao (Team Sky) | +48” |
| 10 | Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) | ,, |
