Sagan displays versatility by winning first hilly stage

QUIMPER, France — For the second time in this year’s Tour de France, Peter Sagan has beaten Sonny Colbrelli in a sprint finish.

As opposed to the flatter Stage 2, Sagan’s Stage 5 victory came at the conclusion of the race’s first hilly route Wednesday.

Greg Van Avermaet took advantage of an intermediate bonus sprint to add two seconds to his overall lead, ahead of BMC teammate Tejay van Garderen.

Sagan, the three-time reigning world champion, clocked nearly five hours over the challenging leg through Brittany, which contained five categorized climbs over a 204.5-kilometer (127-mile) route from Lorient to Quimper.

Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert, a former world champion, was third and moved up to third overall.

Race favorite Chris Froome trails Van Avermaet by 57 seconds and is in the 15th spot.

Christophe Ena / Associated Press Slovakia’s Peter Sagan leads the charge across the finish line Wednesday in Quimper, France.