Stage 5 will be the first mountain stage of the 2016 Tour de France, taking the riders south through central France for an uphill finish at Le Lioran. Join The Roar for all the live racing highlights and action from 10pm (AEST).
Coming off the back of two of the tightest stage finishes in recent memory, on consecutive days for that matter, the 2016 Tour is shaping up to be one of the best in years.
Slovakian Peter Sagan holds onto the leader’s yellow jersey for for Tinkoff, clutching onto a 12-second gap over Ettix-Quick Step’s Julian Alaphilippe, with Alejandro Valverde rounding out the podium a further two seconds back.
Despite the early goings being dominated by the sprinters on the flats, Stage 5 will be the first real litmus test for General Classification contenders.
Setting off from yesterday’s dramatic finish at Limoges, the riders will have a fairly comfortable ride to start the day, cruising for the most part of 130km, navigating a couple of small gradual ascents, before the real climbing begins with around 86km to go.
The Pas de Peyrol reaches the highest altitude for the day, peaking at 1,589 metres, a height not reached this early in the tour since the 1979 incarnation of the race.
The final 3km of the Peyrol climb averages a gruelling 12% climb, even going as high as 15% in some short sections, just to really burn the legs with more climbs ahead of the riders.
Following a rapid decline and easily the fastest section of the day on the descent from Peyrol, the peloton will have little reprieve before being hit with the Col de Perthus (at 8%), and the final category climb of the day, the Cole de Font de Cere (6%) that leads into the finish.
Prediction
This is very much a day for the GC riders, and the sprinters that have taken control of the opening flat stages, a la Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel to an extent, will have to limit the damage and stick with the peloton as best they can.
There will no doubt be a breakaway through the early ascensions before the main climbs, and if the right people with the right climbing pedigree can open up a sizable gap before the peak of Pas de Peyrol at least, then they could be in with a huge chance to take the stage.
It’s always hard to pick the first mountain stage of a tour with so little to go off, but look for Team Sky to nurture their man Chris Froome to a strong finish, and possibly the yellow jersey.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Huge day for Greg Van Avermaet, no doubt the biggest of his career to lead the breakaway the entire day and break off on his own for a historic victory at the Tour de France.
Connor Bennett
Editor
GC Standings after Stage 5: 1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC 25:34:46 2 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx-Quick Step +5'11" 3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team +5'13" 4 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha +5'14" 5 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky +5'17" 6 Warren Barguil (Fra) Giant-Alpecin +5'17" 7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar +5'17" 8 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana +5'17" 9 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Cannondale-Drapac 0:05:17 10 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:05:17
Connor Bennett
Editor
Stage 5 Results: 1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC 5:31:36 2 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal +2'34" 3 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff +5'04" 4 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha '' 5 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx-Quick Step +5'07" 6 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Bora-Argon '' 7 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx-Quick Step '' 8 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange '' 9 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky '' 10 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC ''
Connor Bennett
Editor
Greg Van Avermaet is the new yellow jersey leader!! The Belgian rider now leads a touch over 5 minutes from Julian Alaphilippe
Scott Pryde
Expert
He wasn't alone though. I'll still claim it.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Peter Sagan is still yet to cross the line with the yellow jersey, he dropped off a long, long way through the first climb and it only got worse as the stage went on
Connor Bennett
Editor
The rest of the days riders begin to roll over the line but it's all about Greg Van Avermaet who has taken Stage 5 by 2 minutes and 34 seconds
Connor Bennett
Editor
The break has died as quickly as it started from Sky and Movistar from the main pack, everyone settled back into the bunch with a few hundred metres to go
Connor Bennett
Editor
Easy to pick when he had nearly a quarter of an hour lead at that point hahah
Connor Bennett
Editor
Meanwhile back at the finish line, Thomas De Gendt crosses in second place after a superb ride, taking charge of the breakaway for much of the day before Van Avermaet took off towards the end. Showed some fantastic fight to keep the fight going and hold that second place
Scott Pryde
Expert
Picked it 50 km out :P
Connor Bennett
Editor
There's some movement from the main pack... Movistar have a pair of riders jumping off the front and Froome is struggling to keep up. A bit of oneupmanship here for the two big teams perhaps?
Connor Bennett
Editor
A few hundred metres to go now, and he's just soaking in this crowd, having a look around and waving to anyone and everyone as he heads towards a historic stage victory Easy as you like for Greg Van Avermaet who rolls across the line without another rider in sight, and that is a huge stage win!!! Greg Van Avermaet Wins Stage 5!!
Connor Bennett
Editor
1km to go Greg Van Avermaet flying down the descent on some very, very tight roads, nearly coming off the back of a couple of corners. Maybe just getting a little excited about his win
Connor Bennett
Editor
2km to go The dwindled peloton pass through the 5km gate, happy to let the rest of the day pan out and save energy for tomorrow
Connor Bennett
Editor
3km to go Less than a kilometre to the peak of Col de Font de Cere for Van Avermaet, the Belgium rider is inching bit by bit to his first taste of yellow jersey
Connor Bennett
Editor
4km to go De Gendt has battled exceptionally well to hold his place after Greg Van Avermaet took off at the front, he's managed to avoid being sucked back in and has stayed ahead of the four man chase behind him.
Connor Bennett
Editor
4km to go Froome has been protected well today by his team, surviving during the second climb that took a hold of a lot of the big riders and spat them out
Connor Bennett
Editor
5km to go The main pack led by Sky look to have given up and are holding a pretty casual pace at the moment. The last chance at the lead is the small chase group, as well as a lone de Gendt, who is sitting nearly two minutes back
Connor Bennett
Editor
6km to go Sagan is so far out of the picture there's not even a timing bike with him anymore, his deficit is quite literally immeasurable at the moment and there is no chance of him holding the yellow jersey at the end of the day. Unless a freak Steven Bradbury accident took place?