Eneco Tour 2016: Stage 5

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January 1 - September 25, Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands/Belgium, Road - WorldTour

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Live coverage of stage 5 of the Eneco Tour, a 20.9-kilometre team time trial around Sittard-Geleen.

Eneco Tour race hub on Cyclingnews
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As the Eneco Tour faces into its second time trial of the week, a 20.9km team effort, Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) sits atop the overall standings, 7 seconds clear of Rohan Dennis, who is backed by a strong BMC team this afternoon. 

The general classification picture is as follows ahead of today's stage:

Four of our 22 teams are already in action. Dimension Data were the first team down the start ramp at 14.34 local time, and teams are setting off in four-minute intervals.

Eneco Tour stage 5 start order:

BMC are the obvious favourites for stage honours this afternoon. World champions in the discipline for the past two years, today's event almost doubles as a dress rehearsal for next month's Worlds in Qatar. Five of their six world champions from Richmond - Rohan Dennis, Taylor Phinney, Daniel Oss, Manuel Quinziato and Stefan Kung - are in the line-up today, with Greg Van Avermaet Joey Rosskopf and Tom Bohli.

Dimension Data are the first team to reach the finish, clocking a time of 24:47 for the 20.9 kilometres.

Orica-BikeExchange are currently in the start house, the eighth team to roll down the ramp and the squad most likely to be the early pace-setter this afternoon given their pedigree in the discipline, even if Michael Hepburn aside, many of their top rouleurs are absent.

Lampre-Merida have established a new quicest time of 24:32. Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise came mighty close to pipping the Italians, but have had to settle for the second best time of 24:33.

Team Sky are the next squad to set out. Michal Kwiatkowski and Geraint Thomas are the pick of the rouleurs in their line-up, but they are down world time trial champion Vasil Kiryienka, who abandoned yesterday.

Roompot are the fifth team to reach the finish, but their time of 25:02 won't trouble Lampre. Today's time trial, incidentally, sees the Eneco Tour cross into Germany and back. Sittard-Geleen sits in Dutch Limburg, at a sort of confluence between Belgium and Germany. Today's parcours sees the teams set out from the Netherlands, cross briefly into Germany and then loop back across the border to the finish.

Cofidis come home with the 4th best time thus far, 16 seconds down on Lampre-Merida.

The Lotto Soudal team of two-time overall winner Tim Wellens are next to start. The Belgian is 39 seconds down on GC and needs his squad to produce a strong showing here if he is to keep his hopes of a hat-trick alive.

Jasper Stuyven leads Trek-Segafredo across the line as they set a new quickest time at the finish. Their 24:23 is 9 seconds faster than Lampre.

Orica-BikeExchange are down to 6 riders as they hurtle towards the finish. They've just lost fast man Caleb Ewan.

Sky, meanwhile, have lost Andy Fenn and Lars Peter Nordhaug on one of the short rises on this course. They are down to five riders - times are taken on the fourth rider across the line.

Orica-BikeExchange cross the line with the bare minimum of four riders, but their time of 24:22 is the new quickest mark, one second up on Trek-Segafredo.

Ag2r-La Mondiale come home in 24:42, good enough for the fifth best time of the day so far.

Sky's remaining quartet come home in a time of 24:50, which won't trouble the leaderboard.

Team Sky have just four riders at the finish, but their 23:50 is still the quickest time of the afternoon thus far, well clear of Orica-BikeExchange.

Katusha are the second team to drop below the 24-minute barrier. Alexander Kristoff and company come home in 23:52, just three seconds down on Team Sky.

New quickest time for Lotto Soudal, who come in 23:40, nine seconds clear of Team Sky.

Tom Dumoulin's Giant-Alpecin team are currently out on the course, while Etixx-QuickStep - minus Tom Boonen - are on the start ramp. With Tony Martin and Niki Terpstra in situ, they could well be the team to topple Lotto Soudal's time.

FDJ have made big strides as a time trialling outfit this year, and they put together another solid display here. The French squad clocks the day's third best time. Their 23:51 is only 11 seconds down on Lotto Soudal.

Fifth best time for Astana, whose 23:52 is just fractions of a second shy of Katusha and FDJ. Lars Boom was the main engine for Astana in that effort.

Pre-stage favourites BMC are on the start ramp waiting to begin their effort. LottoNL-Jumbo and Tinkoff will be the final two starters.

Cannondale-Drapac hit the finish line in a solid 23:53, for the sixth best time thus far.

Giant-Alpecin reach the finish with the bare four riders, but John Degenkolb and Tom Dumoulin lead them home with the second best time to date. Their 23:44 is just under four seconds down on Lotto Soudal.

Race leader Peter Sagan and Tinkoff roll down the start ramp, and all of the teams are now underway. Tinkoff, incidentally, confirmed yesterday that they will not participate in the team time trial at next month's Worlds.

The soon-to-be defunct IAM Cycling spring something of a surprise by clocking the quickest time to date, but then motivation is nine-tenths of the law at this point in the season. The Swiss squad stop the clock in 23:37, three seconds quicker than Lotto Soudal.

Etixx-QuickStep bring this team time trial to a new level. Tony Martin et al have recorded a new best time of 23:17, almost 20 seconds up on IAM Cycling.

Movistar reach the finish with the second best time on the day. Their 23:36 is still 19 seconds down on Etixx-QuickStep's effort.

Into the final kilometre for BMC, who still have all eight riders and look poised to edge out Etixx-QuickStep.

BMC set the new quickest time. Their 23:11 is 6 seconds faster than Etixx-QuickStep, and it could be enough, too, to put Rohan Dennis back into the white jersey of overall leader.

Sagan rides on the front for Tinkoff, who have shed two riders as they hurtle towards the final kilometres of this test.

LottoNL-Jumbo are the penultimate team to finish. Their 23:34 is good enough for third place on the stage.

Tinkoff are the final team on the road, and are down to five riders as they hit the final three kilometres. Sagan is on the cusp of losing his jersey to Rohan Dennis (BMC).

Sagan leads his three remaining teammates over the line in 23:45, the day's eighth best time. Sagan duly concedes the overall lead back to Rohan Dennis (BMC).

Result:

General classification:

 

Thanks for joining our live coverage from the Eneco Tour this afternoon. We'll be back with more tomorrow, and in the meantime, you will be able to find a full report, results and pictures from today's team time trial here.

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