Le Tour 2014 – Stage 5

Ypres – Arenberg Porte du Hainaut

Distance: 155.5 kilometers.

Today’s stage starts at Ypres, Belguim, a major battle site of World War I, and then heads back into France where 9 sections of pavé [cobblestones] await the field. Cobblestones and bicycles are not a good match.

Chris Froome didn’t even make it to the cobblestones. He withdrew after his second accident on the rain-slicked road, apparently the wrist he injured in an accident yesterday finally was too bad to continue.

The organizers removed two of the pavé sections because they were under water. The other sections were covered with slick green slime.

That didn’t bother Lars Boom of the Netherlands who won the stage 19 seconds ahead of the next rider. Astana unseated Sky in the team competion.

Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 ) [Yellow] 20h 26′ 46″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) [Green] 185 points
Cyril Lemoine ( Fra – COF – 174 ) [Polka Dot] 6 points
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) 3 [White]

Team: Astana Pro ( AST – 041-049 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Lars Boom ( Ned – BEL – 062 )
Combative: Lieuwe Westra ( Ned – AST – 049 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Vincenzo Nibali ( Ita – AST – 041 )
2 Jakob Fuglsang ( Den – AST – 042 ) + 00′ 02″
3 Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 051 ) + 00′ 44″
4 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 074 ) + 00′ 50″
5 Fabian Cancellara ( Sui – TFR – 163 ) + 01′ 17″
6 Jurgen Van Den Broeck ( Bel – LTB – 131 ) + 01′ 45″
7 Tony Gallopin ( Fra – LTB – 134 ) + 01′ 45″
8 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 007 ) + 01′ 54″
9 Andrew Talansky ( US – GRS – 091 ) + 02′ 05″
10 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte ( Esp – MOV – 011 ) + 02′ 11″

The Rest of the Top 30:

11 Romain Bardet ( Fra – ALM – 082 ) + 02′ 11″
12 Tejay Van Garderen ( US – BMC – 141 ) + 02′ 11″
13 Alberto Costa Rui ( Por – LAM – 111 ) + 02′ 11″
14 Geraint Thomas ( GB – SKY – 008 ) + 02′ 16″
15 Thibaut Pinot ( Fra – FDJ – 127 ) + 02′ 25″
16 Tom Dumoulin ( Ned – GIA – 106 ) + 02′ 25″
17 Yury Trofimov ( Rus – KAT – 029 ) + 02′ 25″
18 Bauke Mollema ( Ned – BEL – 061 ) + 02′ 27″
19 Alberto Contador ( Esp – TCS – 031 ) + 02′ 37″
20 Jan Bakelants ( Bel – OPQ – 072 ) + 02′ 39″
21 Peter Velits ( Svk – BMC – 149 ) + 02′ 44″
22 Marco Marcato ( Ita – CAN – 056 ) + 03′ 23″
23 Michael Albasini ( Sui – OGE – 182 ) + 03′ 29″
24 Jean-Christophe Péraud ( Fra – ALM – 081 ) + 03′ 29″
25 Mikel Nieve Iturralde ( Esp – SKY – 005 ) + 03′ 29″
26 Tiago Machado ( Por – TNE – 206 ) + 03′ 59″
27 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre ( Esp – TFR – 169 ) + 03′ 59″
28 Mathias Frank ( Sui – IAM – 191 ) + 04′ 13″
29 Christopher Horner ( US – LAM – 114 ) + 04′ 13″
30 Laurens Ten Dam ( Ned – BEL – 067 ) + 04′ 13″

Did not finish:

Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 )

Note: Wikipedia has a simple article on the Mountain classification used on the Tour. The basic fact is that climbs fall into five types, with the four numbered types decreasing in difficulty as the numbers get larger, and then there is the Hors Catégorie, literally “without category”, which generally makes you look for an elevator or Sherpas.

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