Canada’s David Boily clings on to the race lead after a tough stage across the Jura Mountains
Romain Bardet (France) took the home country’s first stage of the 2011 Tour de l’Avenir on the biggest stage of the race to the summit finish at Le Salève. The Frenchman escaped the yellow jersey group on the final climb to the 1252 metre high plateau, finishing just three seconds ahead of Jesper Hansen (Denmark), and 12 seconds ahead of Esteban Chaves (Colombia)at the end of a tough 171km stage across the Jura Mountains.
The stage began immediately with the 3rd category climb of the Côte de Mont-sur-Monnet, where a group of nine riders escaped, including mountains leader Garikoitz Bravo (Spain). The Spanish rider was first across the top there, and the 4th category Côte de la Chaux-du-Dombief, the 2nd category Col de la Croix Serra and the 3rd category Côte de Giron. The group was not able to get more than two minutes clear of the peloton though, and was caught on the descent ot the Giron at the mid-point of the stage.
Over the top of the 2nd category Côte de Cruseilles, the penultimate climb with 30km to go, Dimitri Le Boulch (France) got away and managed to get a gap on the descent. By the time he reached the foot of the climb to Le Salève, the Frenchman had a lead of 1’40” but, as the climb went on, his lead plummeted and he was caught four kilometres from the top by Bardet, Hansen and Chaves.
The three riders rode together for the rest of the climb until, in the final few hundred metres, Bardet attacked and stayed away to take his third victory of the season.
Race leader David Boily (Canada) finished in a small group fifty seconds behind Bardet and holds on to his jersey by just seven seconds over Chaves.
Result stage 5
1. Romain Bardet (Fra) France National Team
2. Jesper Hansen (Den) Denmark National Team @ 3s
3. Esteban Chaves (Col) Colombian National Team @ 12s
4. Warren Barguil (Fra) France National Team @ 26s
5. Tim Wellens (Bel) Belgium National Team @ 33s
6. Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Switzerland National Team
7. Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Norway National Team
8. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Italian National Team @ 35s
9. Georg Preidler (Aut) Austrian National Team @ 50s
10. David Boily (Can) Canadian National Team
Standings after stage 5
1. David Boily (Can) Canadian National Team
2. Esteban Chaves (Col) Colombian National Team @ 7s
3. Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Norway National Team @ 21s
4. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Italian National Team @ 31s
5. Georg Preidler (Aut) Austrian National Team @ 1’29”
6. Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den) Denmark National Team @ 1’31”
7. Jordi Simon (Spa) Spain National Team @ 1’38”
8. Warren Barguil (Fra) France National Team
9. Dimitri Le Boulch (Fra) France National Team @ 1’43’
10. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Netherlands National Team @ 1’44”