Advertisement

Tour de France stage 5 LIVE result: Tadej Pogacar takes time from rivals as Simon Clarke wins stage

Wout van Aert, in yellow, on the cobbles of northern France (EPA)
Wout van Aert, in yellow, on the cobbles of northern France (EPA)

The 2022 Tour de France has been a relative breeze for most of the riders so far, bar a couple of minor crashes towards the end of the sprint stages. There’s been Geraint Thomas’s unwanted gilet and Jasper Philipsen’s mistaken celebration, but most of the tribulations have been minor compared to what may be in store on stage 5, as the peloton takes on 11 cobblestone sectors which tend to bring no shortage of drama.

The route is a 157km ride from Lille to Arenberg Port du Hainaut in the north of France. An intermediate sprint early in the piece should bring the sprinters to the fore as they chase points for the green jersey, before the cobbles – or pavé – begin. The same cobblestones which cause such chaos in Paris-Roubaix (dubbed ‘Hell of the North’ for good reason) could well claim abandonments as the riders travel through narrow uneven tracks at high speed. Most of the sectors are around 1.3km long and take around 2 minutes to complete, and the main overall contenders will make it their mission to avoid trouble.

Mathieu van der Poel is the bookies’ favourite today and with good reason, having twice won the cobbled Tour of Flanders. The man in the yellow jersey, Wout van Aert, won sensationally on stage 4 in Calais and will be a contender again here having won cobbled classics like Gent-Wevelgem, while Dylan van Baarle (Ineos), Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo), Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) and Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step) all have cobble wins on their palmarès.

ADVERTISEMENT

Follow all the action live below.

Tour de France stage 5

  • Today’s 157km route across northern France includes 11 cobbled sectors

  • Mathieu van der Poel falls out on contention, Peter Sagan and Chris Froome struggle too

  • Wout van Aert falls back to support Jumbo-Visma Jonas Vingegaard after mechanical

  • Jumbo-Visma co-leader also in trouble as Primoz Roglic crashes

  • Australian veteran Simon Clarke edges sprint finish among breakawayers

Wout van Aert retains yellow jersey

16:31 , Lawrence Ostlere

And here’s how the general classification looks after that:

Simon Clarke celebrates victory

16:29 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here’s a very worthy winner, Simon Clarke, who earned his first Tour stage win today aged 35:

“After the winter I had, when I had no team, I think you’ve seen all year I’ve come in every race swinging, I just tried to make the most of every opportunity.

“The stages I’ve won in the Vuelta before were all in the first week, so this morning I thought ‘maybe today’s the day’. I can’t believe I got it on the line, Taco was well ahead, I was cramping in both legs, and I just prayed it was enough. I need to watch the replay, I can’t quite believe it.

“I moved to Europe when I was 16, I’m 36 on the second rest day, so 20 years, and it’s a dream come true.”

Simon Clarke, right, edges Taco van der Hoorn on the line (EPA)
Simon Clarke, right, edges Taco van der Hoorn on the line (EPA)

Tour de France stage 5

16:24 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here’s the final kilometre of that crazy stage:

Simon Clarke wins stage 5

16:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

Wout van Aert does just enough to stay in the yellow jersey, the only solace on a bruising day for Jumbo-Visma.

Stage 5 top five

16:16 , Lawrence Ostlere

1. Simon Clarke2. Taco van der Hoorn3. Edvald Boasson Hagen4. Neilson Powless5. Magnus Cort

Simon Clarke wins stage 5

16:16 , Lawrence Ostlere

In comes Tadej Pogacar, around 50 seconds down on the leaders. Jumbo-Visma are still another minute or so back down the road...

Simon Clarke edges photo finish to win stage 5!

16:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

The Australian veteran Clarke does just enough to round Van der Hoorn and edge him on the line! A photo finish will show just how close that was. What a finish. Edvald Boasson Hagen was third.

Tour de France stage 5

16:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

Taco van der Hoorn and Simon Clarke are scrapping for the win...!

Tour de France stage 5

16:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here they come towards the finish, it’s going to be a shootout...

Tour de France stage 5

16:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

5km to go: Magnus Cort is done! He slides off the front and now there are only four: the stage winner will be either Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies), Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) or Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech).

Stuyven and Pogacar are about 50 seconds behind the leaders, still working well together, while the yellow-jersey chasers led by Team Jumbo-Visma are about 1min 30sec back from Pogacar – they have worked well to reduce the damage a little for Vingegaard and Van Aert, but it is still a huge price to pay for a day of rough luck.

Tour de France stage 5

16:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

A reminder of the breakaway five who look to be set to fight it out for the stage win: Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies), Magnus Cort and Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech).

Cort has expended plenty of energy getting hold of the polka dot jersey over the first few days, so perhaps he will not contest a sprint finish among them. Boasson Hagen has the power to win a surge to the line and he might just be my pick. Taco van der Hoorn has looked very comfortable all day, too.

Tour de France stage 5

16:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

10km to go: The breakawayers have only one cobbled sector between them and the finish at Arenberg Port du Hainaut. Pogacar and Stuyven are still 40 seconds down on them and it seems like it will be between this quintet for the stage win. Vingegaard, Van Aert, Thomas and others are about 1min 45sec behind Pogacar, with Roglic even further back down the road after his crash.

Tour de France stage 5

15:58 , Lawrence Ostlere

In all the chaos I hadn’t had a chance to report that Dylan van Baarle, Ineos’s cobbles master who had been guiding Geraint Thomas through the day, has punctured and fallen back. Thomas remains in that yellow-jersey group a couple of minutes down on Pogacar.

Tour de France stage 5

15:56 , Lawrence Ostlere

15km to go: The breakaway five – Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies), Magnus Cort and Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) – remain out in front but their lead over Pogacar and Stuyven is still only 40 seconds. Surely the stage winner will be one of these seven riders.

Tour de France stage 5

15:54 , Lawrence Ostlere

Florian Vermeersch crashes now! He exited the cobbled sector giving chase to Pogacar and his front wheel just slid out from underneath him on a right-hand bend, perhaps some dust still on his tyres as he changed terrain. The Lotto-Soudal rider is back on his bike but it’s been a rough day for the Belgian team, who had Caleb Ewan crash earlier too.

Tour de France stage 5

15:52 , Lawrence Ostlere

17km to go: Pogacar attacks again! Jasper Stuyven surged from the GC group and the reigning champion has gone with him. Pogacar and Stuyven are making a concerted effort not just to distance from the rest of the GC pack but to join the breakaway group – the gap is down to around 40 seconds.

Tour de France stage 5

15:49 , Lawrence Ostlere

20km to go: The GC chasing pack are back on the cobbles once more. Pogacar must be loving it. He is completely alone with regards to his straggling UAE Emirates teammates but it doesn’t matter, and he surges on regardless with real speed at the front of the chasing pack hunting down the five-man breakaway.

He is trying to make it as difficult as possible for the Jumbo-Visma co-leaders Roglic and Vingegaard to regain contact, and they are set to lose at least a minute, maybe two, to their main rival.

Tour de France stage 5

15:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Four more cobbled sectors to go.

Jumbo-Visma riders are almost comically stretched out all over this race, some slowing or even riding back down the road desperately trying to pick up their leaders and get them back to the main action. It’s like they’ve lost one another on a night out which has spiralled out of control. This is a real disaster for the Belgian powerhouse team.

Tour de France stage 5

15:41 , Lawrence Ostlere

25km to go: Roglic is back on his bike and fighting to regain contact with that chasing GC pack containing Thomas and Pogacar.

Up front, Gougeard has fallen away leaving only five in the breakaway – though they are losing their grip, only one minute clear of the chasers.

Tour de France stage 5

15:36 , Lawrence Ostlere

Now Roglic crashes! Oh dear, oh dear. A loose hay bale lining the side of the road was hanging in the path of the riders and Roglic is the unlucky victim, along with sprinter Caleb Ewan, who both hit the deck hard. Disaster for Roglic, and for Jumbo-Visma today.

Tour de France stage 5

15:34 , Lawrence Ostlere

So, the state of play with around 30km to go:

The six-man breakaway remains out in front with five cobbled sectors left. They are: Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies), Magnus Cort and Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) and Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels-KTM).

About two minutes behind them is the main chasing group, let’s call them the GC group, with lots of the main men including Tadej Pogacar, Geraint Thomas and Primoz Roglic.

Another couple of minutes back is another chasing pack – and behind them the yellow jersey of Wout van Aert is waiting up to help Jumbo-Visma co-leader Jonas Vingegaard after a mechanical. Van Aert is effectively giving up the yellow jersey for the team, and right now Powless is favourite to be in yellow tonight.

Tour de France stage 5

15:29 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jonas Vingegaard has punctured! The Jumbo-Visma co-leader is given a spare bike but it doesn’t fit him, it’s too big! Teammate Steven Kruijswijk comes back to offer up his bike, but just as they swap the team car finally arrives on the scene and Vingegaard is given his fitted spare. He’s back on his way, and he’s able to latch on to a straggling group, but that could be a dent to his place in the overall standings come the end of the day.

Tour de France stage 5

15:25 , Lawrence Ostlere

Mathieu van der Poel – the big favourite at the start of the day and a two-time Flanders winner – is nowhere near the front, he’s completely fallen away. He has talked this week about not feeling qutie as sharp as he did during the Giro, and perhaps he has just taken on a few too many miles this year. At this rate it would be surprising if he continues to Paris.

Tour de France stage 5

15:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

40km to go: Tadej Pogacar is pretty much all on his own here without his teammates, especially so after UAE Emirates’ George Bennett suffers a mechnical now. Pogacar is fine, of course, using other teams as shields. He’s currently latched on to the rear wheel of Geraint Thomas, who is following Ineos’s cobble master Dylan van Baarle.

Tour de France stage 5

15:19 , Lawrence Ostlere

Florian Senechal-Staelens was one of the favourites at the beginning of the day, a man who knows his way around the cobbles of the classics, but he has suffered a mechanical and has fallen back.

Tour de France stage 5

15:16 , Lawrence Ostlere

45km to go: Out of that tricky second section come the peloton and into the third stretch of cobbles, helpfully named ‘sector 9’. The breakaway remain around 2 min 40 sec clear of the peloton, and EF Education are currently on course to claim the yellow jersey with breakaway Nielson Powless as things stand.

Tour de France stage 5

15:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

A few things going on all of a sudden. Chris Froome and Peter Sagan have both fallen off the back of the main group; Sagan crashed earlier so may be suffering, though I’m unaware of any incident involving Froome. Meanwhile the Australian Ben O’Connor has stopped due to a mechnical – sounds like a puncture – and his teammate Stan De Wulf has handed over his bike to the Ag2R team leader.

Tour de France stage 5

15:07 , Lawrence Ostlere

Asgreen is a talented rider over the cobbles, having won the Tour of Flanders in 2021, and he might fancy his chances of the stage win today if he can hunt down the breakaway. The beauty of riding for QuickStep on a day like this is that there is no effort to win the yellow jersey or designs on the general classification – one-day specialists are free to pick the days they want to attack for victory.

Tour de France stage 5

15:05 , Lawrence Ostlere

52km to go: QuickStep attack as they hit the second cobbled section! Kasper Asgreen and Michael Morkov are the two that surge off the front, and the peloton is stretched out behind them.

Tour de France stage 5

15:01 , Lawrence Ostlere

The breakaway six hit the next cobbled section. The dust is flying, it’s clearly very dry out there, which they will be grateful for as their bones shudder over the pavé.

Tour de France stage 5

14:58 , Lawrence Ostlere

A crash! Anthony Turgis seemed to get his bike tangled with another bike at the back of the pack, and it’s another innocuous fall. None of the day’s crashes have come on the cobbles, although perhaps the nerves which the cobbles generate are playing a part. Turgis is back on his way.

A reminder that there are still no abandonments from this Tour, which is pretty unusual at this stage.

Tour de France stage 5

14:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

60km to go: Geraint Thomas and Tadej Pogacar are making a deliberate ploy of riding near the front here, they do not want to get caught in any mes that might occur on the cobbles. The tricky second sector of the day is coming up shortly.

Tour de France stage 5

14:51 , Lawrence Ostlere

The next cobbled sector has been widely tipped as the most dangerous of the 11 today. It’s narrow and it’s downhill, which means it’s very, very fast.

Tour de France stage 5

14:49 , Lawrence Ostlere

65km to go: An attack off the front of the peloton on the first cobbled section by Mads Pedersen and Jack Bauer, which doesn’t stick – that feels like a waste of energy for one of today’s favourites, Pedersen. The breakaway’s lead is down to around three minutes.

Tour de France stage 5

14:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Another crash! Vegard Stake Laengen and Peter Sagan come together and go down before the first cobbled sector, but they are back on the road.

Tour de France stage 5

14:37 , Lawrence Ostlere

The speed has cranked up as the peloton approaches the cobbles...!

Tour de France stage 5

14:30 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here we go then, the first sector of 11 cobbled stretches await. The breakaway is approaching with a gap still around four minutes. A reminder of the day’s route map, which also contains a key of sector difficulties in the top-right corner.

Stage 5 map (letour)
Stage 5 map (letour)

Tour de France stage 5

14:24 , Lawrence Ostlere

85km to go: Van Aert is slowly making his way back to the main bunch after that fall, helped by his teammate Kruijswijk and by his Jumbo-Visma mates at the front urging the peloton to slow and wait. The six-man breakaway remains around four minutes clear of the rest.

Wout van Aert is down!

14:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

Oh no! The yellow jersey of Wout van Aert tumbles to the ground as he tries to navigate a central reservation rounding a right bend. He and teammate Steven Kruijswijk hit the road, but they are quickly back up on their bikes and pushed on their way. Van Aert appears to have sustained some kind of injury on his right side, holding his arm, but it doesn’t seem to be a major problem.

Tour de France stage 5

14:10 , Lawrence Ostlere

100km to go: The breakaway is around 3min 30sec ahead of the peloton. A reminder of their number:

Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies), Magnus Cort and Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) and Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels-KTM)

Wout van Aert leads green jersey standings

14:01 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here’s how the sprinters’ points classification is looking after that intermediate sprint earlier:

1. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), 178

2. Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), 118

3. Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies), 86

4. Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), 73

5. Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost), 70

Tour de France stage 5

13:59 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here’s what’s to come in about 20km:

Tour de France stage 5

13:49 , Lawrence Ostlere

The breakaway were first through the intermediate sprint to collect most of the green jersey points on offer, but there’s still a little tussle for the remaining scraps at the front of the peloton. Christophe Laporte guides the yellow jersey of Wout van Aert towards the sprint line but Fabio Jakobsen darts around them both to get their first, reducing his points gap to Van Aert to 59.

Jakobsen remains in green while Van Aert wears yellow, but as soon as the yellow jersey passes on – which we might expect to do once we hit the Alps – then Van Aert will likely resume green given his healthy points advantage so far.

Tour de France stage 5

13:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

120km to go: The peloton is going at a fair lick so far but remains nearly three minutes behind the breakaway, and the gap is growing.

Tour de France stage 5

13:34 , Lawrence Ostlere

The peloton has left Lille – host of the Tour de France for the 18th time today – and is out in the French countryside. There is a six-man breakaway which seems to be sticking at the front:

Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies), Magnus Cort and Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) and Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels-KTM).

They lead the way from the peloton by around 2min 15sec.

Tour de France pays tribute to Richard Moore

13:26 , Lawrence Ostlere

Before the stage, there was a tribute to the British cycling journalist Richard Moore, well known for hosting the Cycling Podcast which became essential listening during the Tour, who died a few weeks ago. A posthumous trophy was presented to his widow Virgine ahead of the stage 5 start in Lille this morning.

Tour de France stage 5

13:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

Magnus Cort up at the front yet again, having swept up the King of the Mountains points on the minor climbs in his homeland Denmark in order to take hold of the polka dot jersey.

Magnus Cort, wearing the polka dot jersey, involved in yet another breakaway (AFP via Getty Images)
Magnus Cort, wearing the polka dot jersey, involved in yet another breakaway (AFP via Getty Images)

Tour de France stage 5

13:19 , Lawrence Ostlere

140km to go: Chris Froome’s teammate Simon Clarke (Israel-PremierTech) is the third rider in that chasing trio. What’s interesting here is that EF Education-Easypost have two riders involved in these two riders – Neilson Powless is chasing the group containing Magnus Cort and there are around 30 seconds between them. If Powless can join up with Cort and they can build a sustainable breakaway, then he could have a useful courier through the cobbles later in the day.

Tour de France stage 5

13:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

145km go to: There’s a bit of a messy start to this stage, with that trio now being hunted down by a group of 15 riders on the chase. Three of those 15 then break out Powless, Gougeard, and one other.

Tour de France stage 5

13:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

150km to go: A few early attacks under way off the front. A trio gets away made up of Taco van der Hoorn, Magnus Cort (the polka dot jersey) and Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Stage 5 begins!

13:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

We are officially under way in the fifth stage of the Tour de France! 155km to go...

Tour de France stage 5

12:57 , Lawrence Ostlere

The man in the yellow jersey, Wout van Aert, speaking before the stage today:

“We have to see this as an opportunity to make a move in the GC,” he says, before hinting that he might be given licence to go and win the stage rather than simply sit and protect Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic. “We will see how it goes,” he says.

His role – either as stage challenger or team defender – would have been an interesting topic of conversation on the Jumbo-Visma bus last night and this morning.

Wout van Aert celebrates winning stage four in Calais (REUTERS)
Wout van Aert celebrates winning stage four in Calais (REUTERS)

Tour de France 2022

12:52 , Lawrence Ostlere

Some numbers here from yesterday’s finale:

Overall standings (top 10)

12:47 , Lawrence Ostlere

Wout van Aert remains in the yellow jersey, and his finish in the top of every stage has accrued plenty of bonus seconds to give him a healthy lead in the overall standings.

1. Wout van Aert, Belgium, Jumbo-Visma, 13h 2m 43s.

2. Yves Lampaert, Belgium, QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, +25s behind.

3. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates, +32.

4. Mads Pedersen, Denmark, Trek-Segafredo, +36.

5. Mathieu van der Poel, Netherlands, Alpecin-Deceuninck, +38.

6. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Jumbo-Visma, +40 .

7. Primoz Roglic, Slovenia, Jumba-Visma, +41.

8. Adam Yates, Britian, Ineos Grenadiers, +48.

9. Stefan Kung, Switzerland, Groupama-FDJ, same time.

10. Thomas Pidcock, Britain, Ineos Grenadiers, +49.

Tour de France stage 5

12:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

The riders are on their bikes, and they’ll have a 10km jaunt around the streets of Lille before reaching Kilometre Zero and the start of stage 5.

Tadej Pogacar: The invisible champion out to win historic third Tour de France

12:35 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here’s an interview with that man Pogacar before the Tour:

In Monaco, Tadej Pogacar blends into the city. He walks invisibly through the streets and potters freely around his local supermarket. Even in his favourite bike shop, the best cyclist in the world queues among the muggles without being disturbed. “I like to go inside and see what’s new, and of course I don’t mind if there’s customers in front of me, it’s normal,” he says.

By all measures a double Tour de France champion should be one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet, a bonafide global superstar unable to walk through a hotel lobby without dark glasses and an entourage, but somehow Pogacar has not yet transcended the sport. One suspects if he was from cycling’s European heartlands or the US with a name that rolled off the tongue, his profile might be a little different. His “TP” brand with an eagle motif and a “never give up” tagline is yet to take off quite like Roger Federer or Tiger Woods.

But understated and low-key is how Pogacar approaches life and cycling, just riding for the joy of it, an ethos which has brought rich rewards so far. After winning back-to-back Tours de France, an historic third next month would set him firmly on course to becoming one of cycling’s all-time greats, and what makes it all possible is just how little he is driven by his own sporting legacy. “For me that’s not something that I would enjoy after [my career] too much and brag about it. I work hard to win a lot of races, but for me the priority is just to be a good friend to my friends and have good relations with the people I want in my life.”

Tadej Pogacar: The invisible champion out to win historic third Tour de France

Jumbo-Visma tactics could shape entire Tour de France

12:28 , Lawrence Ostlere

An interesting sub-plot to these early stages is the tactics of Jumbo-Visma. The Dutch team are the main challengers to UAE Emirates leader Tadej Pogacar and his quest to win his third Tour de France in a row, and they possess the duel threat of Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, the two riders who finished second to Pogacar over the past two Tours. But another Jumbo-Visma rider Wout van Aert is doing a brilliant job in these early stages, having finished second on the first three days in Denmark before winning spectacularly in Calais yesterday, and currently holds the yellow jersey.

If Van Aert was to win today he would pick up yet more time bonuses and extend his advantage at the top of the standings, and if his form was continue to the end of the week, then at what point would Jumbo-Visma decide to shift their focus? Could his lead become strong enough that it is worth protecting in itself, rather than risk switching emphasis to Roglic and Vingegaard? They may be the more natural climbers when the road steepens in the Alps and the Pyrenees later in the Tour, but don’t forget that Van Aert has a stage win on his CV up Mont Ventoux – he is no slouch in the mountains.

If Pogacar is to be defeated by Jumbo-Visma, their team tactics will need to be inch perfect. Van Aert’s odds for overall victory have shrunk considerably over the past few days – he is now around 25/1 and sixth favourite, which might ordinarily be a good thing. But Jumbo-Visma now have three of those six riders, and it could prove a difficult balancing act.

Tour de France stage-by-stage guide

12:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

And here’s a look at our stage-by-stage guide to see what’s coming up. Some hilly stages, very little for the sprinters, before some serious mountain tests where will start to see the fight for the yellow jersey unfold.

Tour de France 2022 stage-by-stage guide

Tour de France jerseys

12:20 , Lawrence Ostlere

If you’re new to the Tour de France, here’s a look at the different coloured jerseys and what they represent:

The meaning behind each Tour de France coloured jersey

Stage 5 profile

12:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

The day’s profile is a little hilly in places – there are some uphill cobbled sections which drain the legs – but overall it is the terrain rather than the relief which will shape the day.

Stage 5 profile (letour)
Stage 5 profile (letour)

Stage 5 route map

12:01 , Lawrence Ostlere

Today’s route map shows how the peloton will head south from Lille, through an intermediate sprint point, before reaching the cobbles and winding east towards the finish. The key here on the right shows the difficulties of each section of pavé – the most challenging parts come in the first half of the 11 sectors.

Stage 5 map (letour)
Stage 5 map (letour)

Stage 5 start time

12:01 , Lawrence Ostlere

The stage is scheduled to begin at around 1pm BST and should finish around 4:30m BST.

How to watch on TV and online

Tour de France coverage can be found this year on ITV4, Eurosport, Discovery+ and GCN+ (Global Cycling Network).

Live racing each day will be shown on ITV4 before highlights typically at 7pm each day. ITV’s website lists timings here.

Eurosport and GCN+ will show every minute of every stage. More on Eurosport’s coverage here and the GCN+ coverage here.

It is also being shown on Eurosport’s Discovery+ streaming service, with broadcast info here.

Stage 4 recap

11:52 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jasper Philipsen: “I thought I had won but then I saw Van Aert in front and I never knew he was in front, so yeah. I felt good but at the moment I’m just a bit disappointed. On the climb I never saw him riding in front, it’s a disappointment for sure.”

He added: “For four or five seconds I honestly thought I won, it will make funny images in the end. I didn’t want this though so it’s a bit s**t also. I just didn’t know he [Van Aert] was in front. I also never heard on the radio so yeah that’s a shame and why I sprinted for the win.”

Stage 4 recap

11:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Not everyone realised Van Aert had got away, mind you. Jasper Philipsen clearly missed the moment his fellow Belgian scampered up the road, because when the Belgian sprinter crossed the line in second place he celebrated with a roar and a beat of his chest, thinking he’d clinched the first Tour de France stage of his career.

Tour de France rider mistakenly celebrates after thinking he won stage

Stage 4 recap

11:42 , Lawrence Ostlere

A reminder of what happened yesterday, as Wout van Aert surged away in the yellow jersey on the final climb of the day, and no one could live with him:

Impressive Wout Van Aert soloes to stage four victory at Tour de France

Tour de France stage 5

11:31 , Lawrence Ostlere

Mathieu van der Poel is the bookies’ favourite today and with good reason, having twice won the cobbled Tour of Flanders. The man in the yellow jersey, Wout van Aert, won sensationally on stage 4 in Calais and will be a contender again here having won cobbled classics like Gent-Wevelgem, while Dylan van Baarle (Ineos), Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo), Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) and Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step) all have cobble wins on their palmarès.

Mathieu van der Poel has been quiet since the opening time trial (AFP via Getty Images)
Mathieu van der Poel has been quiet since the opening time trial (AFP via Getty Images)

Tour de France stage 5

11:25 , Lawrence Ostlere

The route is a 157km ride from Lille to Arenberg Port du Hainaut in the north of France. An intermediate sprint early in the piece should bring the sprinters to the fore as they chase points for the green jersey, before the cobbles – or pavé – begin. The same cobblestones which cause such chaos in Paris-Roubaix (dubbed ‘Hell of the North’ for good reason) could well claim abandonments as the riders travel through narrow uneven tracks at high speed. Most of the sectors are around 1.3km long and take around 2 minutes to complete, and the main overall contenders will make it their mission to avoid trouble.

Tour de France stage 5

11:20 , Lawrence Ostlere

The 2022 Tour de France has been a relative breeze for most of the riders so far, bar a couple of minor crashes towards the end of the sprint stages. There’s been Geraint Thomas’s unwanted gilet and Jasper Philipsen’s mistaken celebration, but most of the tribulations have been minor compared to what may be in store on stage 5, as the peloton takes on 11 cobblestone sectors which tend to bring no shortage of drama.

Tour de France stage 5

11:14 , Lawrence Ostlere

Hello and welcome along to live coverage of stage 5 of the Tour de France.