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Luka Mezgec of Argos-Shimano won the fifth and final stage of the 2013 Tour of Beijing to deny Nacer Bouhanni of FDJ.fr his third stage victory.
After several podium positions throughout the 2013 cycling season, the Slovenian finally claimed his first victory for 2013 on the final day of the UCI World Tour.
Retiring veterans Marco Pinotti and Juan Antonio Flecha would become involved in one final breakaway, which also featured Manuele Boaro, Christian Meier and Olivier Kaisen. The breakaway would gain a maximum time advantage of 1:35 over the peloton before being reassimilated during the final lap.
With the peloton bearing down on the breakaway, Meier decided to increase the tempo and go it alone.
The Canadian Orica-GreenEDGE cyclist was presumably aiming to win the Most Combative Rider award for the stage. Despite being caught by his former breakaway companions, the Canadian would attack again.
Tony Martin would chance his luck and launch a long-range solo assault for the General classification victory.
The German would ultimately be caught, but the move sent several shivers down the spines of the Movistar, Team Belkin and Garmin-Sharp, who would be forced to quickly come to the front of the peloton to close down the audacious move.
With less than two kilometres remaining, Team Argos-Shimano would move to the front of the peloton to lead out Luka Mezgec for the sprint finish. As the peloton turned in to the finishing straight, a battle for pole position would occur between FDJ.fr and Team Argos-Shimano.
Nacer Bouhanni’s FDJ.fr lead-out would burn out trying to challenge Team Argos-Shimano for pole position, leaving the Frenchman in a battle with Roberto Ferrari and Alessandro Petacchi for pole position on the rear of the Team Argos-Shimano sprint train.
A late push by Orica-GreenEDGE would see the sprinters switch to the other side of the road, and on to the rear of the Orica-GreenEDGE rider now in front. Moments later Nacer Bouhanni would launch his sprint, with Luka Mezgec firmly locked in to his slipstream.
Mezgec would thunder past Bouhanni within the final 100 metres to claim victory in stage five of the 2013 Tour of Beijing by about a bike’s length. Moreno Hofland of Team Belkin led the best of the rest over the line for third position, a few bike lengths behind Bouhanni.
There would be no significant changes at the top of the General classification, with Benat Intxausti of Team Movistar winning the 2013 Tour of Beijing.
The Most Combative Rider award was shared between Juan Antonio Flecha and Marco Pinotti, a fitting farewell for the retiring duo.
Nacer Bouhanni easily won the Points classification after the withdrawal of Michael Matthews of Orica-GreenEDGE.
Damiano Caruso of Team Cannondale finished stage five to confirm his victory in the King of the Mountains classification, while the White Jersey of the Best Young Rider competition was won by Romain Bardet of AG2R Le Mondiale.
Team BMC won the Best Team classification, four seconds ahead of Team Movistar in second position.
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