Leader’s mistake aids Sagan
Van Avermaet mistimed final sprint, opening door for 3-time world champ
QUIMPER, France — Peter Sagan had the yellow jersey holder to thank for his victory Wednesday in Stage 5 of the Tour de France.
Chris Froome could also thank his Team Sky colleagues for keeping him out of danger — and helping overcome a mechanical problem —in the race’s first hilly stage.
Greg Van Avermaet mistimed his sprint, and Sagan, the three-time reigning world champion with the Bora-Hansgrohe team, took advantage to claim his second victory in this year’s event.
“I don’t know if he did it on purpose or if he wanted to drop everybody but I have to say thanks,” Sagan said.
Van Avermaet still increased his overall lead over BMC teammate Tejay van Garderen to two seconds by gaining precious time in an intermediate bonus sprint.
After a move from Philippe Gilbert, Van Avermaet accelerated out of the final turn with 300 meters to go but couldn’t maintain his pace.
“I tried to win the stage but it was pretty complicated,” Van Avermaet said. “Phil went early and he’s still pretty close on [general classification] so I couldn’t let him go. I think I went too early in the sprint. I thought the corner was closer to the finish than it really was.”
Sagan clocked nearly five hours over the undulating leg through Brittany, which contained five categorized climbs over a 127-mile route from Lorient to Quimper, and resembleda single-day classic.
Gilbert, a former world champion, moved up to third overall, three seconds off the pace.
Froome, the four-time champion who trails Van Avermaet by 57 seconds in 15th spot, finished in the main pack with the other favorites.
“Everyone knew that was going to be a tricky finish today, a very undulating day — never really flat — just up and down,” Froome said. “A nice day to have behind us.
“It’s the kind of stage where something can be wrong and you quickly find yourself losing 30-40 seconds if you get caught out of position. It was a day to stay up front and really stay on it.”
The Tour remains in Brittany for Stage 6 Thursday, another hilly leg of 112 miles from Brest to Mur-De-Bretagne Guerledan, including two climbs of the short but steep Mur-de-Bretagne.
“We always see a bit of action there,” Froome said. “I sometimes prefer those stages to the fast, flat stages.”