Tour de France: Sagan powers to stage 5 win, Alaphilippe stays in yellow
Slovakia's Peter Sagan has won stage 5 of the Tour de France in a bunch sprint to the finish line in Colmar in the eastern Alsace region. Home favourite Julian Alaphilippe holds on to the overall lead and will begin Thursday in yellow for a third straight day.
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Alaphilippe even had a tilt at the stage win on Wednesday, with a downhill charge after the final climb.
But his eyes were already set on stage 6, the first real mountain test in Alsace, which concludes with a tough summit finish in the Vosges.
"My legs are killing me," said Alaphilippe after stage 5, two days after he took the overall lead with a gun-slinging offensive from 15 kilometres.
"Tomorrow is going to be a huge test, for me and everyone," said the 27-year-old former soldier.
Peter Sagan's stage win will be popular with armchair fans as the charismatic former triple world champion, and six-time green sprint jersey winner, had had two near misses so far.
"I try every day, and then one day you get it," said the burly Sagan.
"I suffered a bit in the climbs. But I had to get into the sprint, I was patient. I'm 47 points ahead in the race for the green jersey now."
Sagan turned on the power from 150 metres out to beat pre-race favourites including Jumbo Visma's Wout van Aert, a breakout star of the race who came second while Italy's Matteo Trentin came third.
Thomas finishes safely
Van Aert, riding in his debut Tour since converting from cyclo-cross, closed in to within 14 seconds of the overall lead and maintains his under-25's white jersey as the buzz around him continues to grow.
Defending champion Geraint Thomas and his Team Ineos co-captain Egan Bernal finished safely in the pack in Colmar after a stage that passed through vineyards and villages of picturesque half-timbered houses.
Thomas was typically dry when asked what he expected as the peloton headed off in the morning, saying: "I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best."
The 2019 Tour, with little time-trialling and mountains galore, should prove a climbers' dream.
On Wednesday, the specialist climbers and those who can keep up in the hills were given a chance to unsheathe their swords on the slopes below the medieval Koenigsberg Chateau, the first category two climb of the Tour.
Welshman Thomas looked relaxed after the race.
"Tomorrow's the big day, that's where it all starts really," the 33-year-old said.
What Thomas describes as 'the big day' is a seven mountain slog culminating in a summit finish at La Planche des Belles Filles where four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome enjoyed a breakout win in 2012.
(AFP)
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