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I know that we all don't rate Fuglsang very high but at the moment, WVA is helping him to gain time in GC over his own team leaders. ?? Personally, I don't understand much of what Jumbo-Visma is doing here, Wout is spending too much imo... #TDF2022
Alpecin-Deceuninck has a lone rider pulling on the front of the peloton, just ahead of a phalanx of UAE Team Emirates. The peloton is strung out in a long line, highlighting the kind of speed this 169-strong group of riders is hammering away at.
I've not mentioned him today, but Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is still looking a little leggy, with the Dutchman riding towards the rear of the peloton which trails the breakaway by 3min 46sec. Good news for that eight-man group of stragglers that has managed to regain contact with the peloton. Hurrah!
The eight-man group at the back of the race - George Bennett (UAE Team Emirates), Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates), Alex Kirsch (Trek-Segafredo), Gianni Moscon (Astana Qazaqstan), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), Max Walscheid (Cofidis) and Andrey Zeits (Astana Qazaqstan) - has gained a handful of seconds. Interesting to notice that two of Tadej Pogacar's team-mates are trapped in there.
Wout van Aert just took new bike from his team car and wasted little time in regaining contact with Jakob Fuglsang and Quinn Simmons. The trio leads by a smidge below four minutes.
Today's stage has been raced at a fierce tempo, Wout van Aert, Jakob Fuglsang and Quinn Simmons having covered the opening 95km at an average speed of 50.9kmh. Given the rolling terrain that is ridiculous. There's a group of eight riders out of the back, trailing the breakaway by 5min 32sec. They will have to organise themselves and work together if they are to avoid missing the time cut later on this afternoon.
Jakob Fuglsang, the 37-year-old Israel-Premier Tech rider - I think all Israel-Premier Tech riders are contractually obliged to be over 35 - started the day 1min 20sec down on general classification. Should the Dane go all the way to the line today within touching distance of Wout van Aert, then there would be a slim chance of him challenging for yellow on tomorrow's summit finish on Planche des Belles Filles
The leading trio which includes some very strong riders has increased its lead to 3min 20sec. It is very strange seeing the maillot jaune in the breakaway, not too sure what his thinking is: perhaps extend his overall lead and then keep hold of yellow atop Planche des Belles Filles on Friday which may alleviate the pressure on his team-mate Jonas Vingegaard? I'll be honest, I've not worked out what his strategy is yet.
There is a three-man breakaway that leads the stage by a shade over 1min 48sec, but in reality that is only half of the story of the day. It has been an absolutely ripper of a stage thus far and the trio of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech) and Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo), finally, escaped off the front after wave upon wave. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) flexed his muscles earlier which sent shockwaves through the peloton, while Geraint Thomas and his Ineos Grenadiers team-mates managed to mark the moves, clearly very alert following yesterday's testing ride over the cobbles.
And welcome to our live rolling blog from stage five of the 109th edition of the Tour de France, the 219.9-kilometre run from Binche in the Wallonia region of Belgium to Longwy.
Less than 24 hours after Wednesday's barnstormer of a stage concluded in Wallers-Arenberg, the peloton will faces its longest day in the saddle. It is a cruel sport, cycling. While defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) underlined why he is the favourite to win the Tour in Paris a little over two weeks from now following his scintillating ride over the cobbles of northern France, it was, by contrast, a day to forget for Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma).
Roglic, runner-up in 2020 who abandoned in the wake of a crash last year, hit the deck yesterday and dislocated his shoulder. Although he managed to get back on his bike and finish the stage, Roglic lost 2min 8sec to his great rival and may have lost his chance of challenging for the yellow jersey he so nearly win two years ago.
"I got up quickly and got back on my bike, but very quickly I realised that I couldn't go on like that," Roglic said on Wednesday. "I had to stop and borrow a spectator's seat to put my shoulder back in place myself. As this has happened to me before, I know what to do, I grab my knee and pull hard. I don't know in what shape I will be to continue. For the moment, I don't think I've lost the Tour, I'm not there yet in my head, I'll try to recover".
Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) and Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Deceuninck) became the first riders to abandon the Tour on the cobbles. Haig, who was hoping to challenge in the general classification, suffered with "multiple abrasions and bruises over the body" and later required stitches. Gogl, meanwhile, broke his collarbone and pelvis. Earlier this morning, it was announced that Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) would not start today's stage after breaking his neck in a crash. Quite incredibly, the Italian managed to finish yesterday's stage.
Sector 3 chute spectateurs @TeamTotalEnrg @Daniel87Oss pic.twitter.com/dkExu8NNwl
There was joy for Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) who at the age of 35 won the first Tour stage of his career after the Aussie outsprinted Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) to the line with another old boy Edvald Boassen-Hagen (TotalEnergies) taking third. It truth, it was complicated and confusing afternoon filled with crashes, chaos and carnage as the Tour was shaken to pieces that would need hours to unpick, it may be wise to get a recap with the below highlights package. . .
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) also crashed, but played the perfect team-mate's role as he helped shepherd Jonas Vingegaard towards the line following a mechanical to ensure the Dane lost just 13sec to Pogacar, while also managing to keep hold of the yellow jersey.
There was very little movement in the points classification, and so Van Aert still leads that particular competition, but second-placed Fabio Jakobsen (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) will wear the green jersey.
There were no categorised climbs in yesterday's stage, and so Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) kept hold of his polka dot jersey as leader in the mountains classification.
Pogacar kept hold of his white jersey as leading young rider, while Britain's Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) trails by 30sec.
So, what's on today's menu?
A long day in the saddle awaits the peloton, and with a couple of short but sharp climbs at the end of the stage this could suit a score of riders. But will it be a day for the breakaway, or general classification riders?
Given tomorrow sees the peloton head towards the race's first summit finish atop Planche des Belles Filles, some of the climbers or general classification riders may be hoping to keep their powder as dry as possible ahead of the predicted fireworks on Friday. Van Aert would be favourite for a stage like this, but he has had two tough days and so much will depend on how he has recovered, likewise Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) looked leggy yesterday, perhaps still fatigued from the recent Giro d'Italia which was, in fact, the first grand tour he completed. There is a threat of crosswinds and so that may add another dimension to the day's racing. Despite its uphill finish, the stage carries the same number of points in the race for the green jersey as a sprint stage.
There are three categorised climbs - Côte des Mazures, Côte de Montigny-sur-Chiers and Côte de Pulventeux - with a maximum of five points up for grabs in the mountains classification, meaning if Cort completes the stage within the time limit then he will retain his polka dot jersey going into Friday's stage.
And finally, the weather . . .
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