Wout van Aert (Jumbo) sprinted the 5th stage of the Dauphiné in Chaintré, near Mâcon. The yellow jersey thus consolidated its position at the top of the general classification.
The Belgian won his second success since the start, 4 days after winning in the sprint in the inaugural stage in Beauchastel, in Ardèche. To win, Wout van Aert narrowly beat his compatriot Jordi Meeus at the end of the 162 kilometers.
The peloton came back in extremis on the survivors of the day’s breakaway launched after about thirty kilometers. The quartet formed by the Belgian Jan Bakelants, the Austrian Sebastian Schönberger and the French Fabien Doubey and Benjamin Thomas held up well against the peloton long led by the BikeExchange team of Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen.
Passes on Friday’s program
Aged 27, Wout van Aert now has 5 stage successes in 3 participations in the Dauphiné. He had finished 2nd in the 2 previous stages, in the middle mountains and in the time trial.
Friday, the 6th stage offers a course of 197 kilometers between Rives (Isère) and Gap (Hautes-Alpes). The road crosses 2 2nd category passes quite far from the finish.
ats/btro