Mars bounces back with stage win

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Covering a modest 98.3km of flat road from Linoghin to Koupela, Stage Five of the 2010 Tour du Faso provided an opportunity for the sprinters. Unfortunately for them, Belgium’s Laurent Mars stole the show with an impressive late breakaway, followed by his teammate Christophe Premont, the former leader of the race, who emerged from the peloton to take second place.

Although stage 5 started off with numerous attacks, the peloton remained consolidated thanks to the efforts of the French and Burkina Faso teams, who sought to protect their leaders in the general classification.

Halfway through the race, a group of eleven riders including both European and African riders lingered off the front for over twenty kilometers, never gaining more than a few hundred meters. Team Reine Blanche reeled in the breakaway in time for their Polish sprinter, Zbigniew Gucwa, to claim the intermediate sprint.

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With 45km remaining, Laurent Mars (Belgium) and Martinien Tega of Cameroon escaped the peloton. Both riders were in the top ten of the general classification, but neither was in striking distance of the yellow jersey, so the peloton permitted them to slip away.

Their lead approached a minute but dwindled perilously as the finish approached. With the duo holding only twenty seconds at the 3km banner, the day seemed destined for the sprinters. Then, Mars attacked his Cameroonian counterpart and speed solo towards the line. Tega was reabsorbed by the pack as Mars held his slim margin coming into Koupela.

Back in the field, Belgium’s Christophe Premont attacked within 1km to go. Premont opened small gap, closing down on his teammate. Coming out of the final curve with 200m to go, Mars looked over his shoulder to see his teammate. The two celebrated simultaneously as they crossed the line with the peloton sprinting behind them.

Zbigniew Gucwa of Team Reine Blanche won the field sprint for third place, ahead of best African Rasmané Ouedraogo. With few changes in the GC, Julien Schick of Team Reine Blanche keeps his yellow jersey, while second-placed Ouedraogo of the Burkina Faso National team will continue wearing the jersey of Best African Rider.

Wednesday’s Stage Five will see the Tour enter southwestern Burkina Faso, covering 128.9km from Kokologo to Boromo.