The 32-year-old maintains Germany’s hold on Tour de France with victory in Stage 5
Germanyu00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u0099s Andre Greipel celebrates his victory during Stage Five of Tour de France yesterday.
Amiens (France): On a day in which soldiers who died in World War I were honoured and remembered, Andre Greipel emphasised German sprint domination at the Tour de France yesterday.
Germany’s Andre Greipel celebrates his victory during Stage Five of Tour de France yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
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In fact, with Tony Martin keeping hold of the race leader’s yellow jersey and Greipel in charge of the green points jersey, not to mention Germans winning three of the five stages so far, France’s eastern neighbour is in charge of the 2015 Grand Boucle.
Greipel, 32, overhauled Mark Cavendish and Alexander Kristoff while holding off the fast finishing Peter Sagan to win the 189.5km fifth stage from Arras to Amiens.
The Lotto-Soudal rider picked the right wheel and darted out from behind Cavendish, who finished third, to power to the line, just reaching it before the Sagan express scorched past in second.
Having also won Sunday’s second stage, Greipel proved he is so far the fastest man in the peloton, just as compatriot Marcel Kittel had done the previous two years, winning four stages in each.
Greipel’s second win
Last year Germans won four of the first six stages before finishing with seven out of 21 in total, and this was their second in a row following Martin’s on Tuesday. But while there was joy for Greipel, it was another tough day at the Tour with several crashes as New Zealand’s Jack Bauer and French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni both left the race, taking the number of abandonments to nine following the seven riders who crashed out on Monday.
Behind Martin, 2013 champion Chris Froome remained second overall at 12sec with Tejay Van Garderen third at 25sec. Reigning champion Vincenzo Nibali is still just over a minute and half behind Froome with Nairo Quintana even further back.
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