Tour de Suisse stage 5 - live coverage

Stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse brings the peloton from Gstaad to Leukerbad, where the early climb of the Col du Pillon gives the break a chance to form, while the final haul to the finish should see the GC men to the fore. 

The peloton rolls out from Gstaad at 13.00 local time, and they will tackle a 1.5km neutralised zone before the official start. 

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) wears the yellow jersey after winning stages 2 and 3, but the GC picture will surely look rather different by this evening. 

General classification after stage 4

1          Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix     12:40:51

2          Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep         0:00:01

3          Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ    0:00:04

4          Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe        0:00:06

5          Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep  0:00:13

6          Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team       0:00:16

7          Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers        0:00:17

8          Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo            0:00:29

9          Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Soudal      0:00:37

10        Stefan Bissegger (Swi) EF Education-Nippo  0:00:38

11        Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo    0:00:39

12        Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana-Premier Tech  

13        Alexander Kamp (Den) Trek-Segafredo         0:00:48

14        Michael Matthews (Aus) Team BikeExchange            0:00:50

15        Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates        0:00:52

16        Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Ineos Grenadiers   0:00:56

17        Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain Victorious           

18        Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Team BikeExchange    0:00:59

19        Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team DSM          

20        Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis          0:01:02

Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-Nippo) won yesterday's stage beating Benjamin Thomas (Groupama-FDJ) and Joey Rosskopf (Rally Cycling) in a three-up sprint on the Gstaad airfield. Read the full report here.

The peloton is rolling through the neutralised zone ahead of the official start of stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse. Four classified climbs and 2850m of total climbing await on the road to Leukerbad.

There is one non-starter to report, with Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) having withdrawn from the race.

-175km

The flag has dropped and stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse is officially underway. The road climbs from the outset as the race faces into the category 1 Col du Pillon, whose summit comes after 15km. The climb is technically 6.8km in length, but the road rises all the way to the official base of the ascent. 

Jake Stewart (Groupama-FDJ) and Anthony Turgis (Total Direct Energie) attack from the peloton in the opening kilometres, and they have established a small lead. 

Turgis and Stewart don't get very far, however, and they are soon brought to heel by the peloton. 

-168km

The race heads towards the base of the Col du Pillon proper, where the terrain surely lends itself to the formation of an early break. 

Another five-man move briefly opens a gap over the peloton but they, too, are pegged back just as the Col du Pillon begins in earnest.

-161km

Thus far on the Col du Pillon, the selection is coming from the back rather than the front. The high speed is making it difficult for attackers to gain any traction, but plenty of non-climbers are being jettisoned out the back. The long descent and subsequent valley towards Sion, however, means that the dropped riders should be able to make their way back on.

-159km

Gavin Mannion (Rally) leads Antonio Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) and Sergio Samitier (Movistar) over the summit of the Col du Pillon. Mathieu van der Poel was fourth over the top...

And on the descent, Van der Poel flings himself onto the offensive. The Dutchman escapes in the company of Samitier and Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious)...

-155km

Break:

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Sergio Samitier (Movistar), Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious)

Peloton at 0:23

Van der Poel is showing no sign of relenting, and the three leaders have extended their advantage over the peloton to 35 seconds.

Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), meanwhile, is the victim of a puncture on the descent of the Pillon, where Van der Poel's attack has ensured a very high pace.

-143km

Break:

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Sergio Samitier (Movistar), Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious)

Peloton at 1:00

Poels, meanwhile, has rejoined the peloton after his mechanical mishap.

-133km

Van der Poel, Samitier and Pernsteiner have reached the base of the descent off the Pillon and they are now in the long, long stretch of valley road that leads towards Sion and the day's rugged finale.

Van der Poel and company are extending their lead over the peloton in the valley. 1:10 the gap.

-125km

Claudio Imhof (Switzerland) has set off from the peloton in lone pursuit of Van der Poel, Samitier and Pernsteiner.

A fine solo effort from Imhof, who has managed to make his way across to Van der Poel, Samitier and Pernsteiner. The Swiss team had been among the squads trying to reel in the move before Imhof's counter-attack.

-120km

The pace has dropped in the peloton, meanwhile, and so we have the most unusual situation of the race leader, Mathieu van der Poel, in the four-man early break, which has a lead of 1:50 over the bunch.

-117km

Break:

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious), Sergio Samitier (Movistar) and Claudio Imhof (Switzerland)

Peloton at 3:15

-112km

Ineos and Deceuninck-QuickStep are among the teams controlling the peloton, which is 3:30 down on Van der Poel and the escapees. 

-105km

Van der Poel and company have a long valley road ahead of them, as they maintain their lead of 3:30 over the peloton. The next ascent, the category 3 Varenstasse, is still 65km away, while the first of the day's remaining mountain passes is almost 80km away.

A reminder of the overall standings before today's stage and a reminder that race leader Mathieu van der Poel is currently three minutes up the road...

1          Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix     12:40:51

2          Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep         0:00:01

3          Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ    0:00:04

4          Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe        0:00:06

5          Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep  0:00:13

6          Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team       0:00:16

7          Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers        0:00:17

8          Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo            0:00:29

9          Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Soudal      0:00:37

10        Stefan Bissegger (Swi) EF Education-Nippo  0:00:38

11        Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo    0:00:39

12        Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana-Premier Tech  

13        Alexander Kamp (Den) Trek-Segafredo         0:00:48

14        Michael Matthews (Aus) Team BikeExchange            0:00:50

15        Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates        0:00:52

16        Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Ineos Grenadiers   0:00:56

17        Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain Victorious           

18        Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Team BikeExchange    0:00:59

19        Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team DSM          

20        Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis          0:01:02

The second-highest rider on GC in this break is Hermannn Pernsteiner, who began the day 4:15 behind Van der Poel. The Austrian placed 10th overall in last year's Giro d'Italia and 15th in the previous season's Vuelta a España.

-85km

Astana-Premier Tech and Deceuninck-QuickStep have taken matters in hand in the peloton, and their pursuit has shaved a few seconds from Van der Poel's advantage. The gap now stands at 2:35.

Away from the Tour de Suisse, it has just been officially confirmed that the Grand Prix de Québec and Grand Prix de Montréal will not take place in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. It is the second year in succession that the events have been cancelled, though the organiser said it hoped they would return to the calendar in 2022. "As of today, the organizers of major Canadian events still have no guarantees that the public health regulations needed to hold the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal will be in effect at the end of the summer,"  said Sébastien Arsenault, president and CEO of Événements GPCQM. "There are still too many uncertainties regarding the opening of borders, mandatory quarantine and conditions for large gatherings."

-78km

Break:

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious), Sergio Samitier (Movistar) and Claudio Imhof (Switzerland)

Peloton at 2:30

The pace has been high all day, and it's showing few signs of relenting. Van der Poel et al covered 50km in the second hour of racing alone.

-65km

Into the final 65km for Van der Poel, Imhof, Pernsteiner and Samitier, whose advantage has dropped to two minutes.

Away from the Tour de Suisse, Tadej Pogačar has signalled his Tour de France intentions further with victory on stage 2 of the Tour of Slovenia. Read more here.

-46km

Van der Poel, Pernsteiner, Samitier and Imhof are still fully committed to their move, but their advantage has been pared back over the past 10km. The gap is down to 1:15. 

Israel Start-Up Nation and Ineos are also prominent at the head of the peloton, where the pace is rising ahead of the final trio of climbs on today's stage.

Claudio Imhof has been on the offensive throughout this week and he is again whole-hearted in his efforts as the break approaches the foot of the category 3 Varenstrasse.

-39km

As once the climb begins, Imhof is in difficulty. Van der Poel sets the pace on the front, and only Pernsteiner and Samitier can follow.

Van der Poel, Samitier and Pernsteiner have a lead of 48 seconds over a peloton where Ineos are now gathered en masse at the front and setting the pace. 

-38km

Samitier leads Pernsteiner and Van der Poel over the Varenstrasse with an advantage of 40 seconds over the peloton.

Gavin Mannion (Rally) attacks from the peloton, meanwhile, and blows past Imhof as he looks to pick up some king of the mountains points at the top.

There won't be points for Mannion for 4th place here, mind, but perhaps he is hopeful he can bridge across to the leaders and stay clear on the next category 1 ascent. Amitious, considering the small margins.

-36km

Break:

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious) and Sergio Samitier (Movistar)

Chaser at 0:30:

Gavin Mannion (Rally)

Peloton at 0:52

-31km

The day's toughest climb, the category 1 Erschmaat (8km at 8.4%) is next up. The ascent begins with 26km or so remaining, and the speed is ratcheting up accordingly in the peloton.

Considerable confusion in the peloton as they tackle a roundabout, with many riders going the wrong way around. They are forced to cut across a grass divider to get back on the route but while some riders lost positions, mercifully, there were no fallers.

-30km

Adventure over for Van der Poel, who sits up from the break, leaving Pernsteiner and Samitier out in front with a lead of 28 seconds.

-29km

Break:

Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious) and Sergio Samitier (Movistar)

Peloton at 0:17

-27.5km

Pernsteiner and Samitier are caught by the peloton just before the intermediate sprint that precedes the start of the category 1 Erschmaat.

Mattia Cattaneo leads through the sprint, picking up 3 bonus seconds. Now Ineos, Jumbo-Visma and Deceuninck-QuickStep wind up the pace on the final approach to Erschmaat.

The peloton splinters even before the climb begins. Van der Poel is among the riders to be dropped.

Tom Dumoulin drops back through the rapidly reducing peloton, while Mike Teunissen sets the pace for Jumbo-Visma.. Sam Oomen is the team's leader on this Tour de Suisse.

-25km

Antwan Tolhoek (Jumbo-Visma) attacks alone from the peloton and opens a small gap. Rohan Dennis (Ineos) takes up the pace-making at the head of the bunch behidn him.

-24km

Tolhoek's gap is 20 seconds over a bunch where Dennis continues to set the pace, with Eddie Dunbar and Richard Carapaz on his wheel.

-23.5km

Esteban Chaves (BikeExchange) is the next man to attack from the bunch. He opens a small gap as he sets off in lone pursuit of Tolhoek. Dennis swings off, and now it is up to Eddie Dunbar to set the pace for Carapaz.

-23km

Chaves bridges across to Tolhoek, and this duo has a lead of 12 seconds over a reduced group of favourites, where Eddie Dunbar is performing a fine stint of pace-making for Carapaz. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation), Tiesj Benoot (DSM), Lucas Hamilton (BikeExchange) and Rigoberto Uran (EF-Nippo) are among the 20 or so riders still in contact.

-22.5km

Chaves drops Tolhoek and the Colombian is now alone at the head of the race, 16 seconds clear of Dunbar and the group of favourites.

-22km

Dunbar's effort is keeping Chaves' advantage at around 20 seconds for the time being. 

Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) has been distanced by the group of favourites on this penultimate climb.

-21km

Esteban Chaves (BikeExchange) has opened his lead out to 25 seconds over the reduced group of favourites, where Julian Alaphilippe is the virtual race leader after Van der Poel was distanced early on the climb.

Alaphilippe has no teammates left in this group of favourites, as Cattaneo and Vansevenant have been distanced. Jakob Fuglsang is still riding strongly in this group for Astana, and he's tucked in just behind the Ineos duo of Dunbar and Carapaz.

-20km

Esteban Chaves' advantage continues to grow. He enters the final 20km with a lead of 40 seconds over the group of favourites, where Dunbar is still setting the pace. 

Antwan Tolhoek is brought back by the group of favourites, where Dunbar is still doing all the work, with Carapaz tucked on his wheel. They are 45 seconds behind Chaves with a little under 2km of the climb to go.

Chaves continues to pile on the pressure, and his lead is still yawning outwards. With a kilometre of the climb to go, his buffer is at 47 seconds.

-19km

Esteban Chaves leads by 52 seconds over the group of favourites. The Colombian began the day 1:40 down in the overall standings, and 1:39 behind Alaphilippe.

Fuglsang attacks from the chasing group, causing it to fragment. Woods, Uran, Carapaz, Alaphilippe, Schachmann and Pozzovivo are among those trying to follow the Dane.

-18km

Esteban Chaves leads over the top of the climb with a gap of 35 seconds on Jakob Fuglsang and 44 seconds on Alaphilippe, Carapaz, Schachmann, Woods and Uran. 

Situation

Break:

Esteban Chaves (BikeExchange)

Chaser at 0:28

Jakob Fuglsang (Astana Premier Tech)

Chasers at 0:38

Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation), Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Rigoberto Uran (EF-Nippo), Domenico Pozzovivo (Assos-Qhubeka), Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), Richard Carapaz (Ineos)

-16km

Fuglsang looks to be closing the gap on Chaves on this descent, though the Colombian is battling gamely to maintain his advantage.

-14km

Eddie Dunbar is among the riders who have managed to scramble back into contact with Alaphilippe et al in the third group on the road on this descent. Chaves, meanwhile, has 20 seconds in hand on Fuglsang out in front. The final haul to the line begins with 8km to go.

Chaves makes an error on a corner and he essentially rides into a driveway to bail out. The Colombian manages to slow to a halt before he falls, but it's cost him most of his lead on Fuglsang. He gets going again without undue delay, but his lead is down to 6 seconds.

-10.5km

And then there were two... Fuglsang catches Chaves at the head of the race. 

-10km

Fuglsang and Chaves have 20 seconds or so on the Alaphilippe-Carapaz group as the road begins to level out. Dunbar comes back to the front of the chasing group on behalf of Carapaz, and the Banteer man will surely ride all the way to the base of the climb to the finish.

Alaphilippe drops back to take a bidon from the team car inside the final 9km, which might prove costly at day's end unless the commissaires have changed the cut-off for feeding from the car.

-8km

Fuglsang and Chaves begin the final climb to the line with a lead of 21 seconds over the chasers. 

The climb to the line is more shallow than the preceding ascent, and Chaves and Fuglsang are exchanging turns on the front. Dunbar has been distanced from the chasing group after a fine afternoon of work, and it's now Antwan Tolhoek who leads on behalf of his Jumbo-Visma teammate Sam Oomen.

-6km

Fuglsang and Chaves show few signs of relenting out in front and it looks as though their gap over the nine-man chasing group could be growing.

-5.5km

Jakob Fulgsang climbs from the saddle and drops Chaves...

-5km

Chaves manages to limit his gap initially, but now Fuglsang appears to be pulling away decisively. 

-4.5km

Fuglsang has 10 seconds on Chaves and 38 on the Alaphilippe group. The Dane could be riding himself into the overall lead as well as to stage victory.

Michael Woods attacks in the chasing group, but Uran shuts him down. When the pace relents slightly, Carapaz has a go...

Carapaz has opened a gap over the rest of the chasing group and the Ecuadorian is in lone pursuit of Fuglsang.

-4km

Carapaz catches and passes Chaves with a shade over 4km to go, and the Ineos rider is closing in on Fuglsang.

Fuglsang has a lead of 14 over Carapaz, who climbs with purpose out of the saddle.

Woods attacks again from the chasing group. Pozzovivo and Uran can follow, but Alaphilippe and Hamilton cannot...

-3.5km

Carapaz closes to within sight of Fuglsang. 8 seconds the gap. Chaves is still the third man on the roa,d but the Woods group is catching him.

-3km

Out in front, Carapaz is almost upon Fuglsang. Meanwhile, Chaves has been caught by Woods, Uran, Pozzovivo, Alaphulippe and Schachmann.

Carapaz catches Fuglsang inside the final 3km. The Ecuadorian kicks in a bit to drop Fuglsang instantly, but the Astana man manages to hold the wheel...

-2km

Carapaz does all the pace-making at the front, with Fuglsang tucked on his wheel. The pace is dropping in the chasing group as Alaphilippe, Woods et al eye one another, and Carapaz is riding himself into the overall lead.

-1.5km

16 seconds the buffer for Carapaz and Alaphilippe with a little under a mile. Hamilton, Woods and Uran attack from the chasing group, with Schachmann battling to get across.

-1km

Into the final kilometre for Carapaz and Fuglsang, who still have 15 seconds or so over a reformed chasing group. 

Carapaz keeps piling on the pressure in the final kilometre. He's eyeing the yellow jersey, while Fuglsang will have designs on stage victory.

Fuglsang kicks for home with 250m to go, but Carapaz responds...

Richard Carapaz (Ineos) wins stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse ahead of Jakob Fuglsang (Astana Premier Tech).

Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) wins the sprint for third, 37 seconds down, ahead of Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep). 

Carapaz will be the new race leader.

Result

1          Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers        4:01:52

2          Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana-Premier Tech

3          Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation  0:0:39

4          Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Team BikeExchange

5          Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo

6          Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgroh

7          Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep

8          Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Team Qhubeka Assos

9          Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange      0:0:49

10        Sam Oomen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma       0:01:22

General classification

1          Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers        16:42:50

2          Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana-Premier Tech   0:0:26

3          Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep         0:0:33

4          Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe        0:0:38

5          Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo    0:01:11

6          Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Team BikeExchange    0:01:31

7          Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation  0:01:32

8          Sam Oomen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma       0:02:19

9          Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange      0:02:22

10        Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Team Qhubeka Assos       0:03:10

After his early attacking, Mathieu van der Poel rolls home in a gruppetto more than 20 minutes down. The Dutchman's remarkable early move meant that this stage was run off at fearsome intensity.

Richard Carapaz (Ineos) on his victory: "I'm really happy. It's something we've been working on all week. We knew it was a special day. We wanted to think about the general classification of course and the possibility of winning a stage was there. I did both so I'm happy.

"We knew there was a lot of people interested in the general classification. It was a launchpad for us. We were thinking about the general classification. I made my perfect attack and that was it.

"We're here. We came thinking about preparing for the Tour. Of course, we wanted to try and win this. We know the main objective is the Tour but if we can win this it's good."

Julian Alaphilippe has been docked 20 seconds for taking a bidon 9km from the finish - it's becoming a speciality for the Frenchman - and so he is now 53 seconds off the yellow jersey of Carapaz.

Revised general classification

1          Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers        16:42:50

2          Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana-Premier Tech   0:0:26

3          Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe        0:0:38

4          Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep         0:0:53

5          Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo    0:01:11

6          Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Team BikeExchange    0:01:31

7          Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation  0:01:32

8          Sam Oomen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma       0:02:19

9          Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange      0:02:22

10        Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Team Qhubeka Assos       0:03:10

Julian Alaphilippe on his penalty: "I was à bloc, I needed to drink, and my director said I could take a last bidon, but at the moment I was taking it he hesitated a bit. He had just received the order from the commissaire – apparently it was no longer authorized. I’d just thrown my bidon, I needed to drink, so I took it. Apparently I’ve been penalized but that doesn’t change anything at all."

More from Alaphilippe: "It was a really nice stage – fast all day. In the final I expected a hard race and was focused up front. The rhythm was very high and I gave it my all. The last climb was a bit more tactical, with some attacks, and I was focused on my tempo because I would have exploded if I’d followed every attack. In the end it was done à la pédale and I was in my place, so no regrets."

A full report, results and pictures from today's stage of the Tour de Suisse are available here. We'll be back with more live coverage from stage 6 tomorrow.