Vauquelin furious after Soudal rider incident in Paris-Nice crosswinds

The Frenchman, who transferred from Arkéa B&B Hotels to the British team for 2026, had started the stage in strong form and looked well positioned when the race exploded in the wind. But as the echelons formed, Vauquelin suddenly found himself out of the decisive move.

Later that evening he reacted with a sarcastic message on Instagram.

“Imagine you’re riding on the front and another rider pushes you into the field, and suddenly you end up at the back of the peloton because the echelons start immediately,” he wrote. “No, I’m joking… but just imagine it anyway. A rider from Soudal.”

Vauquelin did not mention a name, but the message made clear he felt the situation had been out of his control.

Once the split happened, the Frenchman was forced into a long chase. Fellow countryman Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) had also missed the decisive move, and the two riders spent much of the stage trying to limit the damage together as the gap to the front quickly grew.

Despite the setback, both riders refused to give up. On the final climb they managed to pass several riders from the original front group. Vauquelin eventually finished sixth on the stage, with Martinez just behind in seventh.

“It was incredibly hard,” Martinez said afterwards to Cycling Pro Net. “That’s it, I’m completely done. I had no strength left in my legs. I was dead. I think we all were. It was a really tough stage. This one is going to stay in my head for a long time.”

The result still cost Vauquelin valuable time in the general classification. He started the day in second place but dropped to fourth after the crosswind chaos, now more than three and a half minutes behind race leader Jonas Vingegaard. Martinez now sits sixth overall, more than five minutes down.