Stage 5 of the Volta a Catalunya is a trap stage for the GC riders. You probably can’t gain time but lose focus over the two ascents of the Cat 1 Alt de Les Paumeres that come in the last 50k and you could be in a world of hurt. Overall the stage is 197k with a Cat 2 climb and then the two Cat 1 climbs late in the stage. There are also two sprint stages.
A breakaway win seems likely but should it come down to a battle in the peloton the organizers think Paret-Peintre and Stage 1 winner Jensen are the favorites. Interestingly 3rd place on the GC Chiarello also makes the list, he would love to grab some bonus seconds.
15k gone, the front two are McCutcheon and Aebi, they have 1’20 on the pack. Just behind them are Skivild, Silva, and Hamza. Further back are La Lavandier, Skala, Martinelli, and Balloni. The gap isn’t large because Caja Rural were chasing but with Balloni now launched perhaps they will let the breakaway get established.
171k to go, the 9 riders mentioned have come together to form the break of the day. Their lead is 3’33. They have started the Cat 2 climb, the Alt de Fontllonga, 3.3k at 6.4%. No threat to the GC lead here as the closest is Aebi at 10’24. Martinelli the closest on the KOM jersey, he is 15th placed but only 18 points off the lead of Dyrnes who has 34. There are 42 points available today so even a rider with zero points so far could take the lead.
The cameras miss the top of the climb as McCutcheon takes 10 points ahead of La Lavandier, Skivild, Aebi and Skala. Former McCormick-man McCutcheon has been very active in the breaks for Stela Vita so far this year.
119k left to go, the lead went over 6 minutes but the teams of the puncheurs don’t seem to want to let this one go. They have the lead down to 4’44. Chasing are Babymetal (Itami), Tafjord (Kulppi), Simba Cement (Manfredi), Manada (Ruiz), Podium Ambition (Vanderpool), Ekoi (Vauquelin), JEWA-TIIRO (Boudat), and Addidas – Eurocash (Aregger). Ahead the break did not contest the first sprint point. Martinelli punctured and has a gap to close.
75k to go for the break, the lead down to 3’19 with the same teams chasing. Martinelli was able to rejoin. In 20k the break will reach the second sprint point and then almost immediately start the first ascent of the Alt de Les Paumeres (7.3k at 6.3% with a maximum of 16.1%).
The break roll through the second sprint point, their lead down to 2’24 with 56k to ride. The finish line in the background, the riders will be going in the opposite direction when they reach that.
3k to climb for the break, the hardest parts still to come. Their lead has stretched a little to 2’40. The two Hilcona riders setting the tempo. Hamza has been dropped.
Just over 1k to ride and La Lavandier is the first to accelerate. Balloni dropped and the peloton at 2’46 with Vauquelin on the front.
La Lavandier pulls away to take maximum points, McCutcheon and Aebi closest to him.
La Lavandier up to 24 points in the KOM, good for 7th. McCutcheon takes 2nd on this climb giving him 22 points total.
By the time the peloton reaches the top, led by Vauquelin and Kritskiy, the gap back to 3’44. They have 47k to go, only a few riders dropped from the peloton. La Lavandier, Aebi and McCutcheon make up the front group, the rest of the break spread out behind them on the descent. Skala closest to the leaders at 43 seconds.
35k to go for the peloton. Ekoi doing most of the work with Thomspon, Russo, and Hopkins. They have the lead down to 2’37, the peloton briefly split over the the top of the climb but is back to 156 riders. The lead group is still just the 3 riders and Skala is losing ground.
The leaders are on to the second ascent of the Alt de Les Paumeres, they have 6k to the top and 27k to the finish. Their lead is 1’56, it doesn’t look like any of the other breakaway riders will see the front of the race again today.
5k to climb for the peloton, all the break caught except the front 3, they have 1’12 but the peloton can see them. Babymetal have been helping Ekoi with the chasing. Still 161 riders in the peloton.
The break have 1.6k to climb and are on the steepest sections as La Lavandier attacks. Peloton 58 seconds down. Tafjord have come to the front of the peloton now and KOM leader Dyrnes is well positioned.
La Lavandier unable to gap the other two. The breakaway all look cooked as Laengen brings the peloton within 36 seconds. The peloton are 700 meters from the top.
As the break reaches the top La Lavandier finds enough for one last push to take maximum points. Behind Dyrnes and Gaspar have attacked.
Dyrnes settles for 5th place and 6 points on the climb which means he and La Lavandier are tied for first on 40 points. McCutcheon third on 34. Gaspar and Dyrnes have 20 seconds on a 104-rider peloton.
18k to go. Dyrnes and Gaspar continued their attack and have swept by the remnants of the break. They have 26 seconds on those three plus Watson, Blikra, and Niu who attacked out of the peloton. The peloton is another 24 seconds back and is being led by Babymetal. 73 riders left in the peloton which includes all of the GC top 20 except 18th placed Roglic.
Attacks contine to fly out of the peloton with riders like Jensen, Serrano, amd Oka going up the road. Race leader Berhane right at the front now, not clear if he is trying to control attacks or join them.
Berhane is on the attack, he pulls a 12-rider GC group clear of the peloton, they quickly get a 31 second gap as the peloton hesitates before Scheit comes to the front to chase. Bordeaux are the ones who need to panic as 4th placed Iturria is the only GC top 10 rider not in the move. Altogether there are 25-riders ahead of the peloton, we will get more names as things settle down.
The 25 riders out front come together, their lead is 1’43 with Strava and SEE Turtles on the front of the peloton. Odd tactics by Bordeaux as they seem to be sacrificing Iturria’s GC position because they Lafay, who is in 28th, in the front group. Iturria still has two helpers left in the peloton (Weinstein, Armirail) so he has some resources. The full list of attackers: Watson Fabbro Niu Lafay Serrano Chiarello Paret-Peintre Lunke Pavlic Aebi Potocki Gaspar, Jensen Blikra, Hugentobler Oka Goh Luchshenko, McCutcheon Mayer, O'Connor Dyrnes Berhane Elosegui, La Lavandier
With most teams only having one rider it will be interesting to see who takes responsibility.
Lunke is the one who takes responsibility for leading the escapes but he isn’t going that hard as the lead is down to 1’17 with 9k to go. Oddly SEE Turtles leading the chase despite having the best sprinter in the front group in Oka. They seem to be defending the GC spot of Reguigui, who sits in 16th at the start of the day.
5k banner. Chiarello and Berhane giving Lunke some help. Gaspar about to launch an attack on the left. The lead is down to 56 seconds as Strava (for Roglic, 18th on GC who was able to rejoin this group) and Stela-Vita (Goos, 11th) leading the chase now.
2.6k, Gaspar has a small gap with Mayer leading the chase. Behind Sony – Force India also joining the chase and the gap is 44 seconds. Iturria had about a minute or more on all of the riders behind him, except Pavlic, so he may not lose too many spots.
1.5k to go Gaspar is just serving as a lead out at this point. On his wheel are Dyrnes, Niu and Luchshenko.
Under the 1k banner Dyrnes and Niu lead, next two are Luchshenko and Paret-Peintre.
700 meters for the leaders, the finish line is the line in the distance, don’t be fooled by that sprint point. Niu on the front. Dyrnes looks done. Oka coming on the left. Lafay and Serrano lead the rest.
400 meters, Paret- Peintre has a clear lead as the others begin to feel the tough parcours. Serrano, Chiarello and Jensen fastest behind. Oka hits the wall, SEE Turtles perhaps wise not to rely on him.
200 meters, it is Paret-Peintre’s turn to fade. Serrano and Chiarello are closest but Pavlic is coming fast now. The finishing straight is slightly uphill and a lot of riders are suffering.
And Chiarello gets his bonus seconds and a stage win. Pavlic is having a great race, he takes 2nd. Paret-Peintre holds off Serrano for 3rd.
Jensen and Niu take 5th and 6th.
Lafay 7th ahead of Elosegui, Dyrnes and Lunke.
The deficit grows to 1’05 for the second group in the closing kilometers which costs Iturria as he drops to 8th. But he needs only 17 seconds to get back to the top 5.
Berhane retains the leader’s jersey but Chiarello closes to 36 seconds and takes over the points jersey lead, 3 ahead of Pavlic. Elosegui still leads the young rider competition, JEWA TIROL the teams competition.
Gijs Leemreize should be back in the right place in the KOM standings.
Volta a Catalunya 
