Through the first 4 stages Phinney has established control of the race, stage 5 is his chance to establish domination. The stage packs three Cat 1’s, a Cat 3 and a Cat 1 summit finish into 135km.
It will also be an important chance for the weaker TT climbers like Barguil and Alarcon to gain back some time.
The stage favorites reflect all the major climbers:
The first summit is in just 45 km, the Cornet de Roselend. So it is no surprise that we quickly have a boatload of riders off the front. Most notably Brenes.
There are now 19 riders off the front and a bunch more trying.
No more get a gap but the Yellow Jersey’s team aren’t happy and Jans is working to close more of them down.
They close down the back 13 out of the 19 but some of them immediately counter, including Brenes.
Another series of attacks and we are back 18 off the front with cycleYorkshire and Berg chasing.
The chase begins to lose steam as the young American Garrison is left carrying the workload.
Another 36 seconds ahead of them is: Brenes Smith Kennaugh Laengen Dayer Quintana Kastrantas Madouas Furdi Gaday Stoltz (1st in KOM)
But the peloton isn’t willing to give up and with 111km to ride Tivani finishes off his teammate’s work and reels the group of 8 back in. The front 10 have 1’19.
The break are on to the climb, there lead is 2’09. Whoever wins this climb will have the virtual KOM.
It seems like it won’t be Madouas or Stoltz as with 13km to climb they are already dropped. The peloton has already shed some riders as well.
11km to the top and the break has come completely apart. Only Furdi and Kennaugh left up front. The fight to get in the break seems to have left all of them with little in reserve. In the peloton, Fuchs, is turning the screw for UBS.
Zardini, Hatsuyama, and Dekker now working. Some of the 2nd tier GC riders perhaps not happy with Brenes out front. The deficit is 1’52.
And the pressure creates a gap. 22 riders split off the front by 30 seconds. Missing the move are Henao Montoya, Faglum Karlsson Brambilla and Wirtgen. Someone will need to take accountability to close that gap.
Kaczmarek takes on the job.
He closes the gap and the peloton is back to 108 riders. 50 seconds ahead is a group with Brenes, Smith and Dayer Quintana. 1’18 ahead of them are Furdi and Kennaugh. The rest of the break has been caught. They still have about 8km to climb.
5km to and Kennaugh gaps Furdi.
2.4km to the top for the peloton. It is down to 88 riders. Zardini has been doing most of the work and has had the Brenes group pegged at 40 seconds for a while now. Furdi is 28 seconds ahead of them and Kennaugh leads by 51 seconds.
Impressively GC 3rd Würtz is still hanging on in the peloton.
Kennaugh takes 1st and the virtual KOM lead. He is 1’10 ahead of the next group of 4 which now includes Furdi
As that groups gets to the top they are almost caught. 2nd goes to Brenes, 3rd to Smith.
Shortly into the downhill, with 88kms left, Cink completes the catch. The lone leader has 1’17 and there are 89 riders left in the peloton.
As Kennaugh begins his lonely climb up to the Cat 3 he has a 1’04 lead. The peloton split on the downhill with most of the GC riders safely up front but Würtz is having to close the gap.
At the top of the climb the cycleYorkshire breakaway specialist takes 6 more KOM points. His lead over the peleton, which is back together, is 1’12.
Kennaugh is still on his own as he starts the 14km Cat 1 Col des Saisies. He has 48 seconds. Cink who is strong downhill has been leading the whole way and the peloton has split up again on the descent of the Cat 3. All the major names are in the front group except Brenes, Anacona and Würtz. Most of the TT riders who held good GC positions have also been distanced.
8km left in the climb. Kennaugh is hanging on 24 seconds ahead. The peloton is down to 41. Brenes, and Würtz rejoined but the latter has since been dropped, this time for good. Anacona is over 3 minutes behind.
5km to the summit, Kennaugh is caught and Isostar is in control. Anacona has closed the gap significantly.
As they approach the 1km marker Anacona rejoins.
Nobody contests the KOM point which means Phinney takes 3rd for some easy KOM points.
It is will now be downhill or flat until the 3rd Cat 2 climb which is almost immediately followed by the climb to the finish. There are 40 riders in the peloton. Isostar setting a gentle pace.
With 30klm to go Bayly comes to the front and adds a little bit of urgency.
The peloton has swelled a little to 46 riders as they start the Cat 1 Côte des Amerands. Only 2.3 km but steep then a short downhill and the final climb. 11 km’s in all left in the stage.
400 meters to the top and Haig repays his team’s work with an attack. Chiarello and Faglum Karlsson join him.
Those 3 take the points at the top, followed by Goos and Sicard.
On the downhill Kozhatayev goes to work to try and catch the 3 leaders, they have 21 seconds.
With 5.8 km to go the attack is over, they are on the final climb now.
Chiarello attacks again which draws out Sicard who is followed by Phinney, Haig, Amador, Alarcon, Quintana, Tvetcov and Eastman
3.8 km to go, the front 6 (through Alarcon) get a gap, they have 25 seconds on the next 6 which represents the remaining attackers plus Olivier, Barguil and Henao Montoya. Who have 20 seconds on a group of 29 containing most of the rest of the riders who started the climb together.
3.2 km to go, the front two groups come together but Henao Montoya is dropped and is back with the chase group which is down to 21 riders.
Tvetcov is dropped soon after. The grades are over 15% in this stretch.
2.5 km to go and Amador, Alarcon, Quintana, and Eastman are dropped.
The gap between the first two groups is 20 seconds and the second group has a 19 second gap to a 9-rider group which includes: Henao Montoya Faglum Karlsson Brenes Anacona Smith Sosnitskiy Brambilla Tvetcov Wirtgen
1.9 km’s to go and Haig is dropped. Faglum Karlsson has bridged to the chasing group but they are now 41 seconds behind the front of the race.
Faglum Karlsson is really chugging, he has dropped Amador. Alarcon and is only 13 seconds behind Haig. The leaders have another 30 seconds.
And then there were 3. Chiarello, and Sicard are dropped. The latter has over 2 minutes on the riders in front of him so his GC second should be safe. The leaders have just over 1 k to go.
The next group is Faglum Karlsson and Quintana who have caught Haig while dropping Eastman.
600 meters and Phinney has a slight lead.
300 meters, it is slow motion ride to the finish, nobody seems to have anything left.
Phinney is strong enough to celebrate his 3rd stage win out of 5. He will hold all the jerseys except Young Rider tomorrow.
Olivier and Barguil take 2nd and 3rd. They lose 7 seconds. Olivier moves up to the 3rd in the GC but is still a long way behind Sicard.
Sicard edges Chiarello for 4th. Great ride by the Brazilian. They both lose 27 seconds.
Faglum Karlsson (+52 seconds) will regret his poor starting position because he was really strong on the climb. He takes 6th ahead of Quintana (+1’03) and fading Haig (+1’11). Faglum Karlsson is also second in the KOM competition.
Eastman (+1’32) takes 9th ahead of Amador (+1’54) and a disappointing Alarcon (+1’54).
Brenes (+2’15) can be pleased with 12th given his adventures in the break.
A flying Smith takes 13th ahead of Brambilla and Anacona, who wraps up the top 15. All at 2’37.
Wirtgen takes 19th and the White Jersey. He is 2’36 ahead of Powless.
Isostar leads the team competition by 3’49 over Moser.
One casualty today as Major finishes outside the time limit.
Since we have seen rather a lot of Phinney, here is Wirtgen celebrating his White Jersey.
Criterium du Dauphine Libere 
