Stage 5 of the Tour of South Africa is the hardest stage. 217k including 14 ascents of a 5k climb near Knysna that averages 5.1% but maxes at over 16%. 4 of those ascents will award Cat 3 Mountain points. The stage is also the longest at 217k. Last year Ian Boswell won the stage from the break while the peloton disintegrated behind him.
At the start of the day Borges has a 42 second lead in the GC. Which is a nice little cushion but last year he lost over 5 minutes on this stage. Some managers looked at the results from last year and thought this race might favor stronger climbers, two of the best in that category, Habtemichael and Aranburu , sit 2nd and 3rd on GC.
The organizers have faith in Borges, he is second on the favorites list.
KOM leader Dall'Oste and Hirschi use the first ascent to open up a gap of almost 2 minutes on the peloton. Others trying to attack now they have completed the ascent
2nd ascent complete and the breakaway has grown to 9. Added are: Poljanski, Hoelgaard, Juul-Jensen, Le Court, Doubey, Ivanov, and Skala. Some strong climbers in this group and Hirschi only 2’18 back in GC so the peloton can’t let them have too much time. Liphongyu another 32 seconds behind this group of 9. The peloton at 1’40, others still trying to attack.
1.7k to go to the top the third time around. KOM points available this time and Dall’Oste can take a commanding lead in that competition with a good day today, which is perhaps why Poljanski is driving the break. Liphongyu has bridged up but Skala and Juul-Jensen have been dropped. Fabbro has attacked from the peloton and is 39 seconds behind the leaders with Juul-Jensen. But Glanbia and Project Africa aren’t happy with the break and have the peloton just 1’33 behind.
Dall’Oste takes maximum points ahead of his teammate and Le Court. He now has a 22 point lead in the KOM competition. Peloton has slowed down now and the gap is up to 2’11.
4th ascent is complete. Fabbro as well as Cuming and Petrovski have reached the front bringing the break to 11 riders. Peloton at 1’57 being led by Indosat, all the riders who were dropped from the break have been caught and no recent attacks, so nobody in between at this point. 166k to ride.
Peloton between the 5th and 6th ascents. The lead got up about 3’15 but the peloton has been chasing hard on the flats, they aren’t willing to let a dangerous break like this get too far ahead. Contributing teams include Cedevita, Phillips and Carlsberg. Strava also prominent near the front but not clear what their agenda is. Peloton is down to 93 riders already, but nobody significant dropped. The 6th ascent has KOM points.
At the top of the climb Le Court gets the jump and she and Doubey take 1st and 2nd with Dall’Oste settling for 3rd. Le Court now in a three-way tie for 2nd in the KOM competition, she won’t catch Dall’Oste but could take sole possession of 2nd today. Next points are on the 9th ascent.
The peloton have completed the 8th ascent and is down to just 35 riders. The teams working include Phillips, Carlsberg, Glanbia, Indosat and Red Bull Zalgiris. About 100k to go. They have been keeping the pace high and are 1’51 behind the break. In the break, Le Court, Petrovski, Liphongyu and Cuming have been dropped. In the peloton some top 20 GC riders have been dropped but only ones like Novak who owed their placings to the TTT. Houle the most prominent name to be dropped but this was never the stage for him.
Dall’Oste attacks to take 6 more points at the top of the 9th ascent. Only Poljanski, Hoelgaard, Ivanov, and Hirschi able to stay with him, although the others might be able to make it back still. Their lead over the peloton is 1’47. Another 90k to ride.
Over the top Fabbro and Doubey are able to rejoin. So still 7 left in the break.
Seibeb leads the peloton over the 10th ascent with the gap at 1’28. The break is down to 6 as Poljanski is dropped after doing a lot of work for Dall’Oste. The peloton is still 35 strong but Rohendi is struggling at the back. He is 2nd on GC and also Borges’ last helper in the front group.
The peloton got as close as 1 minute on the flat section before the 11th ascent but then lost ground on the climb, with the gap going as high as 2’12 minutes. The gap 1’38 now as they are on the 12th ascent. Borisavljevic and Xandri doing the chasing but both are struggling. The peloton down to 30 riders, Rohendi dropped for good. Still 6 riders in the break.
Dall’Oste unable to add any more points at the top of the climb as he crosses last in the group but he has a big lead in the KOM competition at this point and should have that jersey secure. The break’s lead up to 2’06. Two ascents and 44k to go.
As the peloton reaches the climb for the 13th time, they trail by 2’34 which puts Hirschi in virtual Yellow. With Ivanov just 6 seconds behind him in virtual 2nd. The GC favorites will need to take this into their own hands if they don’t want to concede the race lead to the break.
It is Moscon who takes accountability, he not only reduces the gap to the front group to 1’18 over the top but forces his way clear along with Kinoshita, Borges, Van Niekerk, and Gaudu. The remaining favorites group of 19 is 18 seconds behind these 5 and being led by McKenna. Seibeb and Ssabagwanya, 5th and 7th on GC at the start of the day, have both been dropped from the favorites group.
Borges attacks his group, only Kinoshita and Van Niekerk able to stay with him and they get a small gap on the other two. Behind the chasing group is breaking up with Van Garderen and Aranburu breaking free. They can be seen coming around the corner and are just 9 seconds behind Moscon and Gaudu. 7 seconds behind them is the suprising duo of Piaskowy and Johannessen. Then another 12 seconds to a group of 6 which most notably includes Benoot, Habtemichael and Errazkin. Trans having a bad day as both Bystrom and Calmejane are further back.
16k to go the riders are on the flat between the 13th and 14th climbs. Aranburu and Van Garderen have reached the first 5 attackers who have also regrouped to create a 7-rider Yellow Jersey group. They are Borges, Moscon, Kinoshita, Gaudu, Van Niekerk, Aranburu and Van Garderen. They got as close to the break as 18 seconds but nobody wants to work and that has stretched back to 44 seconds. They have 39 seconds on Pisakowy and Johannessen who are next on the road, but they have almost been caught by the next group which has swelled to 12 as the Trans riders have been able to rejoin, among others.
14k to ride, the break is on the final ascent. Their lead reached 1’37 as nobody was willing to work behind and all the lead groups combined back to a 21-rider chase group. But an attack from Kinoshita, Van Niekerk and Moscon has brought those 3 back to within 1’07.
About 1k to the top of the climb, Kinoshita is back to within 20 seconds of the leading 6 (Eddie Stobart rider is lapped). Another 19 seconds behind Borges, Van Garderen, Gaudu and Aranburu have joined Van Niekerk and Moscon. Benoot was with them but was dropped and is with the next group which is another 45 seconds back. Le Gac, 14th on GC is the most significant name missing from that group.
10k to go, Kinoshita reached the breakaway followed by the 6 chasers which prompted another attack from the Voyagin man. He is 2’28 down on GC so they don’t need to chase him at this point. The second group on the road is 11 strong and 56 seconds behind. That group includes Calmejane, Bystrom, Benoot, Piaskowy, and Johannessen. Plus, Petrovski and Poljanski who were in the break, and Meyer, Pacher, Wackermann, and Iino, all of whom started the day well down on GC. Habtemichael, McKenna and Errazkin are another 1’03 behind and look to be losing ground on the GC.
Kinoshita is brought back and as they start the final descent Van Niekerk attacks. Van Garderen and Borges follow. Behind the Calmejane group has almost reach the first chase group.
4k to ride. Van Niekerk leading on the downhill and their gap is 15 seconds. The two groups behind have merged to form a 15-rider chase group.
1.7k to go for the leaders. Van Niekerk still doing all the work, which is generous of him. Kinoshita leading the chase. Gap is still 15 seconds.
Under the 1k banner Van Niekerk’s generosity comes to the end and the chasers catch them which prompts Van Garderen to open the sprint.
300 meters. Van Garderen with a small edge on Kinoshita and Borges. Aranburu and Moscon the other two involved.
Looking at the picture you would think Borges had taken his second stage. But the judges say it is Kinoshita who takes it, making it his 2nd stage win and 4th podium in 5 stages. He also extends his points lead. Borges was apparently second on the stage but he can still be very pleased with his day, he defended the leader’s jersey in style, never looking in trouble and often taking the race to his opponents. The bonus seconds will mean his GC lead has grown. Van Garderen takes 3rd but has missed out on two stage wins by the narrowest of margins. Aranburu and Moscon take 4th and 5th.
Calmejane with a clear 6th followed by Meyer, Van Niekerk, and Hirschi. Iino completes the top 10.
The first 24 get the same time. Habtemichael, McKenna and Errazkin come in next, 2’09 down. Frustration for them as they were very close to hanging on to the front group.
With Habtemichael losing time Borges’ GC lead goes up to 56 seconds ahead of Aranburu, Van Niekerk into 3rd. The latter is also the best young rider. Gaudu and Van Garderen complete the top 5.
Trans have Calmejane and Bystrom in 6th and 7th and take over the teams lead ahead of CT outfit Oktal Pharma. Benoot is 8th. Kinoshita moves back into the top 10 in 9th and Hirschi’s day in the break works out pretty well as he moves into 10th in the GC.
Drapac and Dahlberg miss the time limit.
There will be a couple of unplanned rest days now before the race wraps up early next week.
Tour of South Africa 
