Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard stormed to victory on the difficult fifth stage at Tirreno-Adriatico and slipped into the overall leader’s jersey.
The Danish superstar from the top cycling team Visma-Lease a Bike drove away from the competition on the 146 km long section from Torricella Sicura to Valle Castellana, the German riders around Lennard Kämna (Bora-hansgrohe) had no chance.
In the overall ranking, Vingegaard moved up from fifth place to the top position. The previous leader, the Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), had already fallen behind in the first mountain classification of the day.
The peloton had several tough climbs waiting for them on Friday. In total, almost 2,800 meters of altitude had to be overcome – including the demanding pass of San Giacomo, a mountain of the highest category. There, Vingegaard made the decisive attack 29 km from the finish; the lead over his first pursuers was ultimately 1:11 minutes.
Chris Froome no longer there after a fall
Briton Chris Froome didn’t start in the morning. As his racing team Israel-Premier Tech announced, the four-time Tour winner suffered a fractured scaphoid bone when he fell on the second stage. This was revealed by a magnetic resonance imaging scan carried out after the fourth section. The 38-year-old will now see a specialist.
The penultimate and sixth stage on Saturday leads over 180 km and 3100 meters in altitude from Sassoferrato to Cagli (Monte Petrano); the mountain finish there is expected to decide the overall victory in the “Race Between the Seas”. The long-distance journey ends on Sunday in San Benedetto del Tronto.