Stay or go? Stay or go? After two delays, Leblanc called off the stage.

Photo: Graham Watson

Snow has forced the cancellation of the fourth stage of Paris-Nice, a planned 179km race through the mountainous Loire and Auvergne regions of central France Wednesday.

Race director Jean-Marie Leblanc said conditions on the day's biggest climb, the Category 2 Col de la Croix de l'Homme Mort, made racing unsafe.

"It's minus four degrees (Celsius) on Col de la Croix de l'Homme Mort, the road is wet and the snow is still falling," said Leblanc after the start time was pushed back twice before finally being cancelled.

German CSC rider Jörg Jaksche holds the overall race lead with a six-second advantage on Gerolsteiner's Davide Rebellin after Tuesday's stage which was ridden under temperatures approaching the freezing mark.

Overall Standings
1. Jörg Jaksche (G), CSC, 9:43:55
2. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner, 00:06
3. Bobby Julich (USA), CSC, 00:18
4. Frank Vandenbroucke (B), Fassa Bortolo, 00:22
5. Jens Voigt (G), CSC, 00:22
6. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Phonak, 00:25
7. Pedro Horrillo (Sp), Quick Step-Davitamon, 00:31
8. Beat Zberg (Swi), Gerolsteiner, 00:32
9. Michael Rogers (Aus), Quick Step-Davitamon, 00:32
10. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Fassa Bortolo, 00:34
11. George Hincapie (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 00:37
12. Torsten Hiekmann (G), T-Mobile, 00:41
13. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Sp), U.S. Postal Service, 00:45
14. Thor Hushovd (Nor), C.A, 00:47
15. Bram Tankink (Nl), Quick Step-Davitamon, 00:50
16. Michele Bartoli (I), CSC, 00:50
17. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 00:51
18. Azevedo José (P), U.S. Postal Service, 00:54
19. Jurgen Van De Walle (B), Chocolade Jacques-Wincor Nixdo, 00:55
20. Tadej Valjavec (SLO), Phonak, 00:59