Sagan sprints to stage win in Tour de France

CYCLING: Slovak’s strong finish as Van Avermaet keeps hold of yellow jersey

Three-time world champion Peter Sagan powered to victory on stage five of the Tour de France as Greg Van Avermaet retained the yellow jersey.

Bora-Hansgrohe’s Sagan proved too strong for Sonny Colbrelli of BahrainMehrida in a sprint after a steep uphill rise to the finish in Quimper.

BMC’s Van Avermaet came home in seventh place to retain the yellow jersey, moving two seconds clear of team-mate Tejan Van Garderen on the time sheets after picking up a couple of seconds in the bonus sprint.

Irishman Dan Martin, of UAE Team Emirates, finished in sixth place with Colbrelli’s team-mate Vincenzi Nibali 10th, both on the same time as Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas in 12th and Chris Froome in 14th.

The provisional results showed no time gaps between the main general classification hopefuls at the end of the 204.5km stage from Lorient.

However, Thomas moved down one place to overall fourth after Quick-Step’s Philippe Gilbert also picked up bonus seconds. Thomas is now five seconds off Van Avermaet in yellow.

Froome sits 15th overall, 57 seconds off yellow with Mitchelton-Scott’s Adam Yates a further five seconds back in 16th place.

The rolling roads of Brittany provided a different test for the riders after three sprints punctuated by a team time trial. Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish was the first of the sprinters to suffer as Sagan, of Slovakia, took control during the final climb.

Michael Matthews had been seen as a contender for the stage but the Team Sunweb rider was forced to abandon the Tour due to illness in the morning.

Picture: Christophe Ena Peter Sagan crosses the finish line ahead of Italy’s Sonny Colbrelli, second right, and Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert, second left, in Quimper yesterday.