The Vuelta a Espana rollls on, with the Stage 5 parcours nominally for the sprinters, a 171.3-kilometre trek from Viveiro to Lugo. Join The Roar for live updates and commentary from 11pm (AEST).
The first third of the stage sees the peloton ride along the Galician coast eastwards towards the town of Ribadeo, before the race turns inland and heads southwards towards the town of Lugo.
There is minimal risk of the race being blown apart by crosswinds during the ride from Viveiro to Ribadeo, based on current weather forecasts for the region.
As the race heads inland, the terrain becomes lumpy, featuring a Category 3 climb. Officially beginning at the 107-kilometre mark, the ascent of the Puerto de Marco de Álvare (11.8km at 3.6%) will likely lie too far from the finish to truly influence the result.
After cresting the summit of the Puerto de Marco de Álvare, the peloton have just 51.3 kilometres left, with a potential soft tailwind slightly assisting the pace of the race into the finish in Lugo.
The sprinters and their lead-out trains will have to carefully measure their effort in the final five kilometres, with a primarily uphill drag to the finish – assuming a plucky breakaway does not surprise the chasing peloton. A short reprieve awaits with just two kilometres to go, as the terrain flattens, before the gradient softly rises again in the final kilometre, for a finale that could deceptively sap the legs if someone goes hard too early.
Etixx – Quick-Step should be confident of securing a second stage victory, after Gianni Meersman comfortably took out the second stage, with the profile actually suiting Meersman better than Stage 2.
Hoping to foil Etixx – Quick-Step will be the riders such as Kristian Sbaragli, Magnus Cort Nielsen, Jonas Van Genechten, Fabio Felline or Niccolo Bonifazio, Jose Joaquim Rojas and Nikias Arndt. So far Etixx – Quick-Step have proven themselves to have the strongest sprint train but a lot can change over the space of two stages and a different finale.
My dark horse and pick for today’s fifth stage is young Danish rider Magnus Cort Nielsen from Orica-BikeExchange, who finished strongly on Stage 2, despite a messy build-up to the sprint hampering his lead-in.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
The General Classification results are finally out!...
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
As suspected it looks like the General Classification should be largely unchanged with BMC Racing's Darwin Atapuma still leading the race in the red jersey. Still no official General Classification results just yet so I'll try to post them later if they appear sometime soon.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Before I go though a quick update on the status of Orica - BikeExchange's Esteban Chaves:
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Thank you for joining me for Stage 5 of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana, which was won from a thrilling bunch sprint by Etixx - Quick-Step's Gianni Meersman. I hope you join us again tomorrow on The Roar for live coverage of Stage 6 of the Vuelta a Espana.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Still no sign of any official General Classification results yet, which given the crashes is understandable.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Meanwhile, Gianni Meersman of Etixx - Quick-Step should move in to the green jersey of the points classification after today's stage victory.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Since the incidents happened within the final three kilometres there shouldn't be any time losses for those involved. It may be some time before we get the results for the General Classification after the conclusion of Stage 5 due to the chaos.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Hearing, currently unconfirmed, reports that Orica - BikeExchange's Esteban Chaves may have hit the deck caught up in that crash during the final kilometre.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Quick correction: Second place has been amended from Laurent Didier to Fabio Felline, both riders are from the Trek - Segafredo team.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
[Provisional Results] 2016 Vuelta a Espana - Stage 5: 01. Gianni Meersman (EQS) 04:16:42 02. Laurent Didier (TFS) S.T. 03. Kevin Reza (FDJ) S.T. 04. L.L. Sanchez (AST) S.T. 05. Zico Waeytens (TGA) S.T. 06. Alejandro Valverde (MOV) S.T. 07. Romain Hardy (COF) S.T. 08. J-P. Drucker (BMC) S.T. 09. K. Van Bilsen (COF) S.T. 10. J Goncalves (CJR) S.T.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
We will have to wait to receive confirmation over just who was involved in the crash in the peloton but it looks like Steven Kruijswijk's race could be over with a collarbone injury.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Victory for Gianni Meersman and Etixx - Quick-Step on Stage 5 of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana!... Another dominant display by the Belgian World Tour team.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Gianni Meersman launches the sprint and is immediately challenged by the Niccolo Bonifazio. The duo are contesting the stage victory... but Gianni Meersman takes the victory!
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Etixx - Quick-Step hit the front of the race with Gianni Meersman!
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
There is a crash in the peloton with under 1000 metres to go!
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Simon Clarke and Philippe Gilbert have been caught by the chasing peloton. It looks like the stage will be decided by a bunch sprint.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
There has been a crash involving one of the LottoNL - Jumbo riders meanwhile!
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Philippe Gilbert catches up to Simon Clarke's attack and now attempts to counter-attack!
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
Under 2000 metres remaining now and Simon Clarke is the Cannondale - Drapac rider on the attack!
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
We have attacks out of the pack by Cannondale - Drapac and BMC Racing! It looks like it could be Philipe Gilbert is one of the riders involved.