BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet launched a surprise solo attack from a breakaway 17 kilometers from the end of the hilly fifth stage of the 2016 Tour de France, securing his second career stage win and also winning the race leader’s yellow jersey.
“It feels great. It’s a dream come true,” Van Avermaet told Cyclingnews. “I was happy with the stage win last year but now to have a stage win and the yellow jersey, it’s once in a lifetime and I’m going enjoy it as much as possible tomorrow.”
The Belgian BMC rider gained five minutes on most of the General Classification contenders, most of whom crossed the finish line in a bunch. Tinkoff’s Alberto Contador appeared to be riding in pain, and twice fell off the back of the peloton, but managed to lose only 15 seconds on the stage.
Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali fell well behind, but he had been claiming all along that he was only riding to support team leader Fabio Are, and was looking ahead to the Rio Olympics.
A dozen serious GC contenders are grouped from fifth to sixteenth, 5:17 behind Van Avermaet, including Sky’s Chris Froome, BMC’s Tejay Van Garderen, Movistar’s Nairo Quintana, Astana’s Fabio Aru, and Ag2R’s Roman Bardet. This group can be counted as having no deficit, because ther riders ahead of them: Etixx-Quick Step’s Julian Alaphilippe, Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde, and Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez, are all likely to lose time in the Pyrenees and Alps.
Overall favorite Chris Froome of Team Sky told Cyclingnews, “There were some tricky climbs and dangerous descents. From our point of view we’re happy with that, happy to stay out of trouble. One day down.
“It wasn’t in our interest [to put a rider up the road], it was more about keeping out of trouble. The big GC days are still to come. Today was selective but not a big showdown.
“I was surprised by Vincenzo [Nibali]; I‘d have expected him to come here with his A game. With Alberto [Contador] that’s quite normal after the couple of big crashes that he’s had. No one wants to see that, myself included. I’d rather gain time in the mountains, not because he’s suffering with injury.”
Van Avermaet’s team mate Richie Porte, who lost two minutes to a flat tire in Stage Two, managed to gain back 15 seconds, but is still 1:45 behind the rest of the GC favorites.
