Eight riders make a royal breakaway
193 riders started stage 5 in Vittel. Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) was the only non-starter after he fractured his right shoulder blade. Eight riders went clear from the gun: Jan Bakelants (AG2R-La Mondiale), Mickaël Delage (FDJ), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Dylan Van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac) and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fortuneo-Oscaro). Tsgabu Grmay (Bahrain-Merida) rode in between for a while before he was instructed to wait for the peloton. From km 20 to km 30, the time gap was 3.30 but at the difference of Team Sky who let them go, BMC Racing Team decided to chase the breakaway down. After 50km of racing, the deficit of the peloton was stabilized at 2.30.
BMC at the head of the peloton for more than 100km
Boasson Hagen won the intermediate sprint (km 102.5) in which Michael Matthews (Sunweb) started to regain points in his duel with green jersey holder Arnaud Démare (FDJ). Bakelants sped up to take two KOM points at the côte d'Esmoulières (km 107.5). Delage and De Gendt couldn't hold the pace of the group uphill. The six remaining leaders had the same advantage over the peloton with 45km to go: 2.30. Within 20km to go, some teams finally joined BMC in the chase: Astana, AG2R-La Mondiale… Gilbert and Bakelants rode away with 14km to go, approaching the final ascent to La Planche des belles filles.
Aru attacks with 2.4km to go
Team Sky took the command of the peloton just before climbing. They reeled Gilbert and Bakelants in with 4km to go. Fabio Aru (Astana) attacked with 2.4km to go. He caught the right moment. Chris Froome (Sky) reacted, followed by Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors), Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Richie Porte (BMC). It cost the yellow jersey to his team-mate Geraint Thomas. Five years after taking his first Tour de France stage victory at La Planche des belles filles, Froome is back into the lead of the overall ranking at the same place.
