Lau and Horridge win Trans-Provence day 5

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Nicolas Lau (Cube Action Team) and Emily Horridge (Transition Bikes) won day 5 at the Trans-Provence stage race on Friday. Lau beat current race leader Jérôme Clementz (Cannondale Overmountain / Mavic) by 17 seconds and Fabien Barel (Canyon Factory Enduro Team / Mavic) by 36 seconds. Horridge took 17 seconds out of women's race leader Anka Martin (Juliana Bicycles) and 2:23 from Kelli Emmett (Giant Factory Off-Road Team).

In the overall standings, Clementz retained his lead ahead of Lau and François Bailly-Maitre (BMC Trailcrew). Just four seconds separate Clementz and Lau. In the women's standings, Martin has a comfortable 4:46 lead over Horridge and 6:30 on Emmett.

Day 5 took racers from Valdeblore to Sospel. Just in case riders hadn't had enough of on sight big mountain riding, not enough huge road cols and haven't pushed and dragged their bikes enough along tiny hiking trails; Day 5 was guaranteed to make sure they're full to the brim of all of the above, sating them before the final day and the ride into Menton tomorrow.

There was 66km on today's menu, with an eelvation gain of 2012m, but they did get 3348m of descent with the bus uplift at the end of the day. The traditional three-hour haul at the start of the day, pedaling and pushing to reach the top of Special Stage 17 was as stunning as it was arduous. The day featured some of the best views of the week.

Special Stage 17 and 18 were really one and the same, or at least part of the same; a huge descent down to Lantosque, with a 1200m drop! Split in the middle by a grassy knoll, the top half of the mountain being made up of pine forest covered rock strewn trails with steep switch backs, before hitting stage two which felt more desert like than the top, before hitting a hard to navigate bottom section that is more reminiscent of the North of England than the sunny South of France.

From Lantosque, another big road climb took riders to Special Stage 19. A trail that felt more Mediterranean; rockier and steeper, with gullies and loose rocks to attend to before hitting the final climb of the day - thankfully by bus.

Sadly, there was another injury today with Oliver Munnik taking a high-speed pedal strike that threw him over the bars, smashed his helmet and damaged his shoulder badly, which led to him being helicoptered off. A special mention must be made to competitors who made sure he was being looked after and Trans-Provence mountain staff who made sure he got off the hill safely.

Traditionally we'd now tell you about the old Special Stage, as described by Mark Weir as "above his pay grade", hard to ride, hard to navigate and cleaned by only a few.

This year Special Stage 20 has moved across into a much faster ridge line trail that sweeps back and forth across the hillside before punishing switchbacks pop you back out at the end of the stage and into a river side trail that is equally as challenging as much of the rest of the riding this week.

By the end of five days racing, we're down to four seconds between the top two men and less than six minutes between the top four. But really, tomorrow will be about Lau and Clementz for the top spot though some people will be happy just to arrive at Menton with friends.

Either way it's going to be exciting tomorrow .

Check out the video from day 5.

Full Results