Le Tour 2017 – Stage 5

Vittel – La Planche des Belles Filles

Distance: 160.5 kilometers.

It is Polka Dot time on the first test for the climbers. There is a warm-up Category 3 climb up the Côte d’Esmoulières at just over 107 kilometers. and then the final climb, Category 1, to the finish at La Planche des Belles Filles.

Super Manx, Mark Cavendish, didn’t start as he suffered a fractured shoulder blade in yesterday’s crash. His pursuit of overtaking Eddy Merckx’s 34 stage wins will have to wait a year.

Fabio Aru won the stage and the Polka Dots while Chris Froome took the Yellow from team mate Geraint Thomas.

Christopher Froome ( GBr – SKY – 001 ) [Yellow] 18h 38′ 59″
Arnaud Demare ( Fra – FDJ – 071 ) [Green] 127 points
Fabio Aru ( Ita – AST – 051 ) [Polka Dot] 10 points
Simon Yates ( GBr – ORS – 089 ) 6 [White]

Team: Team Sky ( SKY – 001-009 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Fabio Aru ( Ita – AST – 051 )
Combative: Philippe Gilbert ( Bel – QST – 104 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Christopher Froome ( GBr – SKY – 001 )
2 Geraint Thomas ( GBr – SKY – 009 ) + 00′ 12″
3 Fabio Aru ( Ita – AST – 051 ) + 00′ 14″
4 Daniel Martin ( Irl – QST – 105 ) + 00′ 25″
5 Richie Porte ( Aus – BMC – 041 ) + 00′ 39″
6 Simon Yates ( GBr – ORS – 089 ) + 00′ 43″
7 Romain Bardet ( Fra – ALM – 011 ) + 00′ 47″
8 Alberto Contador ( Spa – TFS – 031 ) + 00′ 52″
9 Nairo Quintana ( Col – MOV – 021 ) + 00′ 54″
10 Rafal Majka ( Pol – BOH – 115 ) + 01′ 01″

The Rest of the Top 30:

11 Rigoberto Uran ( Col – CDT – 188 ) + 01′ 01″
12 Pierre-Roger Latour ( Fra – ALM – 017 ) + 01′ 07″
13 Louis Meintjes ( RSA – UAD – 061 ) + 01′ 24″
14 Emanuel Buchmann ( Ger – BOH – 113 ) + 01′ 29″
15 Jakob Fuglsang ( Den – AST – 053 ) + 01′ 33″
16 Mikel Landa ( Spa – SKY – 006 ) + 01′ 47″
17 Tim Wellens ( Bel – LTS – 139 ) + 01′ 51″
18 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – SKY – 005 ) + 01′ 56″
19 Andrew Talansky ( USA – CDT – 187 ) + 01′ 57″
20 Serge Pauwels ( Bel – DDD – 096 ) + 02′ 00″
21 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – BMC – 046 ) + 02′ 14″
22 Guillaume Martin ( Fra – WGG – 201 ) + 02′ 27″
23 Tiesj Benoot ( Bel – LTS – 133 ) + 02′ 30″
24 Sergio Luis Henao ( Col – SKY – 002 ) + 02′ 32″
25 George Bennett ( NZl – TLJ – 162 ) + 02′ 34″
26 Damiano Caruso ( Ita – BMC – 042 ) + 02′ 35″
27 Mathias Frank ( Swi – ALM – 014 ) + 02′ 36″
28 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – ORS – 088 ) + 02′ 41″
29 Mikel Nieve ( Spa – SKY – 007 ) + 02′ 42″
30 Johan Esteban Chaves ( Col – ORS – 081 ) + 02′ 44″

Did not start:
Mark Cavendish ( GBr – DDD – 091 )

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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