Matthews maintains Paris-Nice lead

Australia's Michael Matthews has maintained his lead of the Paris-Nice race after French rider Nacer Bouhanni won the fourth stage on Thursday.

Australian rider Michael Matthews of Orica GreenEdge team

Australia's Michael Matthews leads cycling's eight-day Paris-Nice race by 14 seconds. (AAP)

Australia's Michael Matthews leads cycling's eight-day Paris-Nice race by 14 seconds after French rider Nacer Bouhanni won the fourth stage in a sprint finish.

Matthews beat Bouhanni in controversial circumstances on Tuesday's second stage when the Frenchman was penalised for deviating from his line in the final sprint.

However, there was no doubt this time as Bouhanni held off Belgian rider Edward Theuns and Andre Greipel of Germany to win the 195.5km trek from Julienas to Romans-sur-Isere at the foot of the Vercors mountain range in the Alps.

Matthews leads Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands with Patrick Bevin of New Zealand 19 seconds back in third place.

"This time there's no controversy, I won," Bouhanni said.

"Of course I was a bit revengeful, what happened in Tuesday's sprint upset me, and I slept badly that night.

"It consumed a lot of my energy and I wanted this win to forget all of that."

The standings are set for a shakeup on Friday, when Stage 5 takes the peloton up the famed Mont Ventoux, one of the most feared climbs on the Tour de France.


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Source: AAP



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