cycling: Tour de France Stage #5: Fabio Aru impresses – Froome in yellow

Cycling: Fabio Aru (Astana) has won the fifth stage of the Tour de France. The Italian champion distanced the competition in an impressive fashion up to La Planche des Belles Filles. Meanwhile, Chris Froome (Sky) took over the yellow jersey from teammate Geraint Thomas.

Will La Planche des Belles Filles predict the winner of the Tour again?

After the Fall of Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and the Disqualification of Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) started the fifth stage of the Tour de France today without the two cycling stars. Today the field drove over 160,5 kilometers from Vittel to La Planche des Belles Filles. The plank of the beautiful girls in the Vosges is well known to many cycling fans. In 2012, Chris Froome won his first stage in a Tour de France here and teammate Bradley Wiggins took the yellow jersey. Two years later, Vincenzo Nibali secured the stage win and consolidated his lead. Both Wiggins and Nibali won the Tour de France that year. La Planche des Belles Filles can therefore be understood, with a little tongue in cheek, as a small oracle. Before the race, one could already say with certainty that the stage winner would also take the lead in the mountain classification due to the mountain in the first category.

Eight breakaways without a chance - BMC sets the pace

With Jan Bakelants (Ag2r), Mickael Delage (FDJ), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale -Drapac) and Pierre Luc Perichon (Fortuneo-Oscaro), eight riders formed the breakaway of the day. However, it soon became clear to them that a stage win would not work out. Especially Richie Porte's BMC team kept the pace high. So the breakaways couldn't extend their lead much. When it entered the mountain La Planche des Belles Filles (5,9 km á 8,5%), the lead of the remaining escapees Gilbert and Bakelants was just under a minute.

Fabio Aru attacks early and pulls the thing through - Froome gets yellow

Team Sky led the peloton into the final climb. Gradually, the escapees were caught. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Warren Barguil (Sunweb) along with a few riders immediately lost touch. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) also had to be demolished a short time later. Fabio Aru (Astana) drove to the front. The Italian champion sprinted away in a steep section. Nobody reacted. Geraint Thomas followed while seated, dragging the rest of the remaining favorites behind him. Finally, Chris Froome (Sky) launched his first attack. Only Richie Porte (BMC), Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r) could follow. Naior Quintana (Movistar) struggled, as did Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo). Fabio Aru executed his attack in an impressive manner. Daniel Martin finished second ahead of Chris Froome and Richie Porte, 16 seconds back. Geraint Thomas loses his yellow jersey to teammate Chris Froome.

Result of the 5th stage of the 2017 Tour de France

Overall ranking of the 2017 Tour de France after 5 of 21 stages