Carmaux
212.5 km
Wednesday 10 September
Fifth stage. Saint-Flour – Carmaux (212.5 kilometres). Start at 11:09 AM. Bakelants manages a double performance at Carmaux. He wins the stage after a 207 kilometre break and takes control of the GC. Stetina, second overall at 1’07, remains within shooting distance.
Early at kilometre 5, Vilela (POR), Kadri (FRA), Ostergaard (DEN), Gretsch (GER), Bakelants (BEL), Kreder (NED), Paterski (POL), Vangaderen (USA) and Docker (AUS) break away. Borchi and Pirazzi (ITA) join them at kilometre 14, just before Vilela is dropped behind. At the top of the Côte de Baraborie (km 25.5), Gretsch takes the lead ahead of Borchi and Paterski with a 1’55 advantage on the bunch. At the top of Côte de Chaude-Aigues (km 43) the advantage of the leading group is 4’05 before it rises up to a maximum of 4’30 at kilometre 47
.
In the climb up the Côte de Saint-Urcize, Ostergaard is forced to quit the race due to a knee injury. At the top (km 59), the nine men led by Bakelants, Gretsch, Borchi and Pirazzi see their lead drop down to 3’45. Their advantage drops down to 2’10 at the top of the Côte de la Coulée de Lave (in the following order: Gretsch, Bakelants, Pirazzi, Kreder, Paterski, Docker). In the climb up the Côte de Lussagues, the pack moves closer and closer. Borchi, dropped behind by his companions stops his effort. He is caught before the summit where Bakelants leads ahead of Gretsch, Vangaderen (at 6’’), Kreder (at 20’’) and Kradi (at 40’’), while the pack is 1’10 adrift.
Under the threat of the pack that is then only 15’’ behind, several riders stop their efforts and are caught while Bakelants, Gretsch and Vangaderen insist. At kilometre 125, they have a 15’’ lead over Kreder, 1’ over Kadri, Paterski, Docker and Bouet while the pack that has slowed down its pace, has a 2’30 deficit. At kilometre 129, Kreder catches up with the front men and a few minutes later the same goes for Kadri, Paterski, Docker and Bouet. At the exit of the feeding zone, the front group can enjoy a 5’15 lead.
At the top of the Côte de Le Bastié (km 140,5), Bakelants grabs the most mountain points. He leads ahead of Gretsch, Paterski and Vangaderen. The pack is then 5’10 adrift. At kilometre 160, Bakelants takes off on his own. His former breakaway companions try to follow in vain. At kilometre 162, he has a 40’’ lead on his closest chasers and that gap grows to 1’40 at kilometre 165. Meanwhile the pack remains 5’ behind. At the top of the Côte de la Malric (km 173), Bakelants confirms his lead (1’55). Gretsch, followed by Vangaderen and Paterski, leads the group of counter-attackers while the pack is 6’10 adrift.
With 25 kilometres to go, Bakelants increases his lead. He then has a 2’25 advantage over his closest rivals and 6’ over the pack. At the second intermediate sprint at Almeyrac (km 197), Bakelants still has 2’40 over the first chasing group and 5’ on the pack. At the top of the Côte de la Roucarié (km 203,5) the gaps remain the same despite several attacks at the front of the main bunch.
All the way to the finish, Bakelants manages to keep a significant advantage on all the chasers. He wins the stage after 207 kilometre long break (including 52 on his own) and captures the leader’s yellow jersey.
"I still can’t believe it. It’s incredible. Ever since the start of the event all the breaks would take a lot of time over the pack and because this morning I felt that I had good legs so I wanted to give it a go today. Unfortunately the day’s breakaway never managed to gain a lot of time over the pack. That’s why I decided to take off alone when the pack was moving closer. I didn’t want the others to make the best of my hard work. Now I hope to be able to keep the jersey all the way to the finish.”