Tour de France, stage 5 – LiveBlog

Épernay to Montargis 187.5 km

Tour de France Profile Stage 5

8:15
Today’s race started at 12:30 local time (6:30 AM EDT) so here’s where we are now.

Tour de France Progress of Stage 5

As you can see a group of three riders wants all the sprint points to themselves, and the spot light perhaps…

8:30
The weather today is HOT, 31°C | 88°F with a 10 kph wind. (WeatherBug.com – Epernay)

Riders in the lead group are Van De Walle, Gutierrez and El Fares.

Sunflower image: PezCyclingNews.com

9:39
Breakaway is now only 3:45 in front after the food station.

Tour de France Progress of Stage 5

9:53
First Sprint (@7:17 AM EDT)
(standing by points stage 5 page)
1. Gutierrez 6pts
2. El Fares 4pts
3. Van De Walle 2pts

10:01
The Peloton is now only 2:14 behind the breakaway.

Tour de France Progress of Stage 5 (9:58 AM EDT)

10:03
Second Sprint: (stage 5 standing by points)
1. El Fares 6pts
2. Van De Walle 4pts
3. Gutierrez 2pts

11:10
Third Sprint: (stage 5 standing by points)
1. Gutierrez 6pts
2. El Fares 4pts
3. Van De Walle 2pts

The Peloton has closed to 1:10. Their speed is 39 kph!

11:15
5 km to go 0:40 gap.

Tour de France Progress of Stage 5 10 km to go (11:11 AM EDT)

Gutierrez is making a break off the lead group.

11:20

11:25

• The Peloton has eaten the lead two.
• Gutierrez is only 0:08 in front with 3km to go.
• Garmin-Transitions is setting the chase speed with 3 riders,
  Gutierrez is caught.
• Garmin-Transitions’ Tyler Farrar leads most of the final sprint then Mark Cavendish breaks past the sprinter and his two Garmin-Transitions “housekeepers”.

Farrar said after the race he went to the wrong side of his housekeeper, he said the move cost him the yellow.

Mark Cavendish wins stage 5 by the length of a bicycle.

Tour de France Stage 5 Finish - Individual Time

Finish

1. Mark Cavendish
2. Gerald Ciolek
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen

Canadians
56. Michaël Barry + 00′ 00″
90. Ryder Hesjedal + 00′ 00″

HA! Finally found Tour de France Channel on Youtube, that should make things easier tomorrow.

See you for Stage 6… starting about 6 AM EDT

mh