Tour de France 2016 Stage 5: Van Avermaet solos to victory and yellow jersey

At 216 kilometres, stage 5 has the first serious climbs in this year's Tour de France on offer. Van Avermaet brings an early break home with an impressive solo that brings him the yellow jersey. De Gendt finishes in second. After a late attack in the group with GC guys Contador is dropped and he loses half a minute to his opponents. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 5th stage Tour de France

1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Thomas De Gendt (bel) + 2.34
3. Rafal Majka (pol) + 5.04
4. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) s.t.
5. Daniel Martin (irl) + 5.07
6. Bartosz Huzarski (pol) s.t.
7. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) s.t.
8. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
9. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
10. Tejay van Garderen (usa) s.t.

12. Richie Porte (aus) s.t.
13. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
15. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
16. Wilco Kelderman (nld) s.t.
17. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
18. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
20. Warren Barguil (fra) s.t.
21. Thibaut Pinot (fra) s.t.
22. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
30. Alberto Contador (spa) + 5.40
61. Rui Costa (por) + 13.45
68. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
98. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 23.45

GC after the 5th stage
1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) + 5.11
3. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 5.13
4. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) + 5.14
5. Chris Froome (gbr) + 5.17
6. Warren Barguil (fra) s.t.
7. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
8. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
9. Pierre Rolland (fra) s.t.
10. Daniel Martin (irl) s.t.

11. Wilco Kelderman (nld) s.t.
12. Tejay van Garderen (usa) s.t.
13. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
14. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
15. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
21. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 5.28
25. Alberto Contador (spa) + 6.38
27. Richie Porte (aus) + 7.02

Race report
Despite skirmishes the pack is still together when cresting Côte de Saint-Léonard-du-Noblat. While he is around KOM-leader Jasper Stuyven takes the point that’s up fo grabs.

Attacks come and go until Thomas De Gendt, Greg van Avermaet, Serge Pauwels, Andriy Grivko, Rafal Majka, Cyril Gautier, Bartosz Huzarski, Romain Sicard and Florian Vachon break clear with 21 kms done. They race to a lead at almost 7 minutes.

With 86 kms done Grivko, De Gendt and Van Avermaet push on as a trio. They put more than 15 minutes into the peloton.

Both at the Côte du Puy Saint-Mary and Col de Neronne Thomas De Gendt is the first to crest before Grivko gets dropped at the Peyrol-climb. Once again takes most KOM-point, so he will wear the polka dot jersey tomorrow.

On the lower slopes Dumoulin, Nibali, Landa, Costa and Sagan can’t follow the pace and a peloton of around 30 riders crest with a deficit at around 7 minutes. The first chasing group is down to Majka, Pauwels, Huzarski and Gautier.

At Col du Perthus Van Avermaet goes solo. Majka and Huzarski leave Pauwels and Gautier alone and they crest the top 3 minutes down on the leader, 2 minutes ahead of the peloton.

Van Avermaet’s victory is not endangered. He powers on to the win and thus takes the yellow jersey with a comfortable margin. Thomas De Gendt finishes in second, while Majka keeps the GC guys just seconds behind.

At the last climb Bardet attacked and along with Quintana and Valverde he puts pressure on the other Gc contenders. Contador, still not in his bad shape after two crashes in the last few days, can’t follow the pace. They put 33 seconds into El Pistolero, who now is 1’21” down on Froome et al.