'Super painful but really important' – No Evenepoel, no problem as Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe put on dramatic show of collective strength at Paris-Nice

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe delivered a striking collective performance on Stage 4 of Paris-Nice, the summit finish to Mont Brouilly. Despite the stage victory and new race lead going to Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), the German outfit placed Matteo Jorgenson, Aleksandr Vlasov, and Remco Evenepoel's former lieutenant, Ilan Van Wilder, in second, third, and fourth positions respectively. This impressive display came after Evenepoel himself had been dropped earlier, highlighting the team's depth.

This result is particularly significant given the recent Red Bull investment and the accompanying speculation around Evenepoel's future, or indeed, his immediate impact on the team. While Vingegaard’s dominance on such a climb was expected, RB-Bora’s ability to place three riders so high, effectively isolating the Dane for a period, speaks volumes about their evolving strategy and newfound collective strength. It suggests a shift from relying solely on a single leader, a valuable asset in stage racing.

Ultimately, while the headlines will rightly focus on Vingegaard's decisive win, RB-Bora's show of force signals a team rapidly finding its identity, even without their star acquisition fully firing. A promising, if not yet victorious, statement.