Le TOUR’20 Stage 5: Winner Wout!

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Stage Report: Jumbo-Visma pulled off a double with Primoz Roglič yesterday and Wout Van Aert today. The Belgian cyclo-cross king worked hard for his leader on stage 4 and then whooped the uphill sprint on stage 5. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) lost the yellow jersey due to a time penalty, but his teammate, Sam Bennett, took the green jersey. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) now leads the 2020 Tour de France.

Stunning sprint from Van Aert

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Stage 4 winner – Primoz Roglič

Stage 5 Route:
Tour director, Christian Prudhomme describes the stage: “The journey through Provence will take the riders on the lands of olive trees as they go past Nyons and then to the kingdom of “nougat” in the city of Montélimar. But once in the Rhone Valley, the cycling speciality really is the bunched sprint. At the end of an uphill false-flat road on several kilometres, the one in Privas will concern the finest of specialists.”

Another day in yellow for Alaphilippe

The fifth day of the Tour de France started in the Alpine city of Gap, where Matteo Trentin won solo last year in his European champion jersey. From there, the peloton mainly descended over 183 kilometres to Privas, located in the Ardèche. In 1966 the 15th stage to Bourg-d’Oisans started here, which was won solo under appalling weather conditions by Luis Ocaña.

Intermediate sprint winner Sam Bennett after a strong lead-out from Bob Jungels

No early break on stage 5

Today stage 5 started slowly. After 4 kilometres, Kasper Asgreen tried to make a move, the Danish champion was joined by Thomas De Gendt, but both riders were soon back in the pack. The peloton took it easy at 40 per hour and were still together at the intermediate sprint in L’Épine, after 48 kilometres.

Easy or transition day?

Nice day for a bike ride

In the run-up to the intermediate sprint, the pace was increased, which caused excitement for the first time in this stage. Sam Bennett crossed the line first, ahead of his teammate Michael Mørkøv, who took important points for the competition. Green jersey Peter Sagan came through fourth behind Caleb Ewan, which meant he had lost the lead in the points classification to the Irish sprinter.

The race was a bit behind the slowest time

European champion Giacomo Nizzolo

After the points were sorted out, the peloton returned to a calm progress. The riders rode through the Drôme to the Rhone Valley, where the Col de Serre Colon came after 130 monotonous kilometres. Benoît Cosnefroy showed his polka dot jersey at the front on the summit and picked up the only point. The AG2R rider took his place again among his colleagues after crossing the line.

There was a short climb

At the start of the last 50 kilometres, the speed was increased in this unusual Tour stage. Going past Rhônestad Montélimar, 35 kilometres from the finish, Sepp Kuss crashed. The Jumbo-Visma climber hit a traffic island, but was able to resume with a few scratches.

Two fast men – Sagan and Kristoff

Despite the acceleration in the Rhone Valley, which is notorious for the Mistral, the pack stayed together. Once across the Rhône, the second, and also the last, climb was on the route. On the Côte de Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès, Cosnefroy took the only point for the KOM jersey, where he extended his total to 23 points. After there was still 16 kilometres to the finish in Privas.

A bridge too far

At 9 kilometres from the finish, Team Ineos suddenly started to ride. The British team saw that the men of Jumbo-Visma were sitting a bit further back and tried to put them in trouble. However, they were not surprised. The yellow and black team stormed to the front of the pack and positioned its train next to Ineos. Then it was a count down to the finish line.

Eventually the speed was lifted by Deceuninck – Quick-Step with Bob Jungels

Three kilometres from the finish, the sprinter teams took over. Team Sunweb led the peloton under the red rag for Cees Bol. The Dutch sprinter fought a grim duel with Wout van Aert, who eventually won the battle. For the Belgian it was his second stage victory in the Tour, after Albi last year.

Climber yesterday, sprinter today

Stage winner, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma): “I didn’t think I would be able get back to this level when I fell last year at Pau. The months afterwards were really tough… I had to work really hard. Since the return to racing in August, I still have the legs, race after race. We look set for a super Tour de France, Primoz Roglic and Tom Dumoulin are looking very strong. We’ve got a lot of motivation.”

Adam Yates in yellow!

Overall leader, Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott): “I didn’t understand at first that I was the new Yellow Jersey. I’d gone back to the bus, I had a shower and I was ready to go back to the hotel, but someone called to say that I had to go to the podium… I would have liked to take the Yellow Jersey in a different way, but now that we have it we’ll defend it. We’ll take it stage by stage. Tomorrow, on the Mont Aigoual, it will be one hell of a battle.”

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Tour de France Stage 5 Result:
1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma in 4:21:22
2. Cees Bol (Ned) Sunweb
3. Sam Bennett (Ire) Deceuninck – Quick-Step
4. Peter Sagan (Slo) BORA-hansgrohe
5. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
6. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott
7. Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept p/b KTM
8. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal
9. Clément Venturini (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale
10. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel Start-Up Nation.

Tour de France Overall After Stage 5:
1. Adam Yates (GB) Mitchelton-Scott in 22:28:30
2. Primož Roglič (Slov) Jumbo-Visma at 0:03
3. Tadej Pogačar (Slov) UAE Team Emirates at 0:07
4. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis at 0:09
5. Egan Bernal (Col) INEOS Grenadiers at 0:13
6. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
7. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa Samsic
8. Esteban Chaves (Col) Mitchelton-Scott
9. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Astana
10. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale.

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