Tour de Pologne 2017: Stage 5

Hello and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 5 of the Tour de Pologne.

Hello and welcome to Poland. We're live for stage 5 and 130km from Olimp Nagawczyna to Rzeszow. The riders have just passed through the neutralized zone and the flag has dropped. We're officially racing. 

Coming into the stage, here's how things look on GC with world champion Peter Sagan top of the standings. He's been consistent throughout - 1st, 8th, 2nd and 3rd in the first four stages:

1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 15:41:47
2 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:10
3 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:16
4 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:00:20
5 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:25
6 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) FDJ 0:00:27
7 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:28
8 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky 0:00:29
9 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott
10 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data 0:00:34

We have four categorized climbs coming up, all of which sit within the second half of the stage. 

We've already had a number of attacks but a move has gone clear, consisting of: Maxime Monfort (Lotto-Soudal), Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing Team), Antwan Tolhoek (LottoNL-Jumbo), and  Moreno Moser (Astana).

115km remaining from 130km

The leaders have 1;15 over the peloton, having covered 15km of the stage already. 

News just in that Alex Kristoff will ride for UAE Emirates in 2018-19 but the rider hasn't signed a contract yet. The team say that "The definitive contract will be signed in the next few weeks, after some routine tests by the team's medical staff." 

Here's the latest information on the Kristoff unsigned deal. He has been linked to a number of teams during the summer and told CN that his future would be decided by the end of the Tour de France. 

Thanks to our friends at the Tour de Pologne and their fantastic website, here's the list of climbs for today:
 

Gmina Lubenia (III category, 71.4km), Gmina Lubenia (II cat., 79.7km), Łany (II cat., 96.5km) oraz Łany (II cat., 119.4km).

The leaders, meanwhile, have pushed their gap out to 2'15 over the peloton with Sagan's men doing the early pace setting. 

The leaders are working well together but after 30km of racing the gap has dropped slightly to 2'00. It's such a short stage that it was always unlikely that the bunch would give them too much wiggle room.

Moser, who is in the break, won this race back in 2012 but his career has nosedived in the last few seasons and even moving to Astana hasn't helped him find his verve. A former winner of Strade Bianche  - his best result this year was maybe 18th in a time trial at Algarve. 

95km remaining from 130km

Already under 100km to go and the bunch are happy to hold the leaders at 2'00.

Maximilian Schachmann takes a long pull on the front of the break before drifting to the back of the move. The 23-year-old is in his first year at WorldTour but has settled well. QuickStep are expecting big things from him in the future. 

80km remaining from 130km

50km covered and the gap moves out to 2'35. The peloton are still well in control and BMC will be happy. They've a man up the road and can settle back for/if there's a bunch sprint at the end of the stage. 

You can find all the confirmed transfers from the WorldTour and Pro Continental ranks, right here.

A reminder of the five in the break:
 

Maxime Monfort (Lotto-Soudal), Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing Team), Antwan Tolhoek (LottoNL-Jumbo), Moreno Moser (Astana), Maximilian Schachmann (Quick-Step Floors).

It's a party of five. If I was to attribute each member of the break to a cast member of Party of Five, this is what it might look like:

Monfort - Charlie Salinger
Moser - Bailey Salinger
Van Garderen - Julia Salinger
Schachmann - Claudia Salinger
Tolhoek  - Owen Salinger
 

At the finish there's a cross-wind. 

It's a broad, city centre finish that angles to the right in the finishing kilometer but the riders will go through it for the first time with 22km to go. They then head out for the last 2nd cat and it's debatable as to whether the pure sprinters will survive with  1,250 metres of vertical climbing.

@Cyclingnewsfeed Wed, 2nd Aug 2017 13:01:55

@Cyclingnewsfeed Wed, 2nd Aug 2017 13:03:00

75km remaining from 130km

Into the final 75km of the stage and the five-man break are onto the first of four climbs. They have under three minutes on the peloton. 

Monfort leads Tolhoek over the top of the first climb, with the lead still hovering at around 2'50. 60km of racing remaining.

Still three more climbs to go on the stage but those points should be enough to put Monfort into the KOM lead, for now at least. 

@quickstepteam Wed, 2nd Aug 2017 13:20:39

@Cyclingnewsfeed Wed, 2nd Aug 2017 13:30:39

Orica Scott are now leading the peloton with the gap at 2'41 and 49km remaining. It's up and down all the way to the finish.

Orica have been joined by Bora and UAE Emirates at the front of the main field. The gap is still holding at over 2'30 but we've not really seen a collective chase from one team. Cannondale look well positioned though. 

39km remaining from 130km

A minute has been shaved off the break's advantage and the gap is at 1'49 with 39km to go as we see the bunch line out due to the pressure on the front. Bora have stepped things up in the last few kilometres as they look to set up Sagan and Majka for the finale. 

Rain at the finish as we see UAE also turn up the heat at the front of the peloton. 

Onto the next climb for the five breakaway riders. Monfort is again driving the pace. 36km to go.

Heavier rain as the bunch and the break navigate through some tight turns. For now the rain is confined to the finish area, where the bunch will pass through with around 22km to go.

28km remaining from 130km

28km to go and the five leaders have 1'47 so the power is still with the peloton as the rain reaches the break and the wind picks up. 

A wet corner and Schachmann is down. A few wrong lines and they went in their too quickly. Three riders head off the road but Schachmann comes down. He's okay but needs a new bike after snapping his saddle. The bunch hopefully are aware of that corner. 

The bunch come through the corner, all safe and sound. 

So just four leaders left and we've seen the bunch shave another 10 seconds off the break's advantage. 23km to go and the gap is at 1'25.

Gingerly around another corner for the break as Van Garderen comes to the front and raises the pace. Decent ride by the American and his companions out there today. 

It's UAE Emirates who take control of the main field. They have Modolo near the front and they'll be looking to set him up for another win. He has to survive the climbs though.

And a rider from Cannondale has come down. Dombrowski is the man on the deck. 

The work from UAE has strung the bunch out and there are already a few gaps with some riders left behind in the wet conditions. 18km to go. 

15km remaining from 130km

15km to go and the leaders have 1'01 as the peloton re-groups. A few missing turns from the break as the legs start to weaken after what's been a short but quick stage. 

Van Garderen is leading the break on another small rise but the gap is down to under a minute now - maybe 30 seconds as we see Team Sky bring Poels to the front. 

Again onto those narrow roads as the cars are ordered out. The gap is maybe 15 seconds between the break and the peloton. Team Sky on the front. 

Van Garderen attacks and Moser responds on the final climb. Monfort is the first rider to slip off the back.

And Moser is dropped too as Movistar lead the bunch. Sagan is still in contention as Van Garderen leads the race solo with 12km to go.

Another 1km of climbing for the BMC rider as he tries to hold off the bunch. He has just ten seconds on the chase as we see Moser swept up. 

Onto the descent for Van Garderen. He has about 15 seconds on what's left of the bunch. Sagan is there but I can't see Ewan at the moment. 

Van Garderen has 21 seconds now but he has 9.8km to go. This is going to be a big ask for the Giro stage winner.

BMC have moved a man to the front as they look to slow down the chase. 

8km to go and the gap is holding as we continue to descend with around 40 riders in the Sagan group. 

It's basically a time trial to the finish for Van Garderen. 6km to go and the road flattens out. The gap is just 15 seconds. 

13 seconds now for Van Garderen who takes the wet roads rather well. 4.5km go to. 

The gap is down to maybe 6 seconds though as van Garderen looks back. He can see the bunch breathing down his neck with 3.9km to go.

3km to go and Van Garderen has been caught by the bunch. We're going to have a sprint. Probably. 

Oss raises the pace but it's Sky who have the most riders in contention as they look out for van Poppel. They have three men on the front. 

Sagan is sitting right on van Poppel's wheel. 

1.5km to go and Team Sky still lead. 

No Ewan as we head into the final 1000m.

Huge crash.

Just ten riders left at the front.

Sagan and Van Poppel are there but attack from Dimension Data.

500m to go.

Van Poppel leads out. 

Never in doubt. The Team Sky rider takes the win in convincing style. Sagan was third I think.

Mezgec was second, Ferrari fourth but only around a dozen riders came to the line with the front group. It looked like a Cannondale rider slipped out on the final corner and he took several men down wit him.

Sagan wasn't able to come around Van Poppel in the end, Mezgec was closing on the Team Sky rider but there would be no denying Van Poppel.

Over in Burgos, Trentin has won stage 2. Here the report, results, and photos.

1 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
2 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-Scott
3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
4 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
5 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
6 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
7 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
8 Jose Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
9 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal
10 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky

And here's the new top ten.

1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 18:41:27
2 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:14
3 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:20
4 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:00:24
5 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) FDJ 0:00:31
6 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:32
7 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky 0:00:33
8 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott
9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:39
10 Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar Team

You can find our complete report, results, and photos right here.

We will be back tomorrow with more live coverage from the Tour de Pologne.