Thibaut Pinot of FDJ has won the fifth stage of the Tour Of Romandie in Switzerland
This was a 162.7km stage from Fribourg to Champex-Lac and a day of four category one climbs in the Alpes with the highest the 1445m Col Des Mosses.
The stage started without Julian Alpahilippe (Etixx Quick Step) and Simon Gerrans (Orica GreenEdge) and saw Maxim Belkov of Katusha and Bryan Naulleau of Europcar get into a break which was 2,40 ahead after twenty seconds.
They were 5.55 ahead after thirty two kilometres and by the forty one kilometre mark, they were seven minutes ahead.
Belkov was first over the Col Des Mosses and took the twelve points as their lead dropped to 4.15.
However, with Belkov and Naulleau on the descent and the peloton on the climb, the front two were able to take their lead back up to eight minutes when they crossed the Bex with ninety kilometres gone.
Belokov took the six points for the PMU sprint and twelve points for being first over the Les Giettes climb.
Through Vernayaz with 124kms and the lead was back down to 3.47 but just fifty five seconds when Naulleau took the sprint points in Martigny.
Belkov, the most combative rider of the day attacked on his own with twenty kilometres to go but he was finally caught ten kilometres later.
Nairo Quintana, Rui Costa and Romain Bardet all attacked off the front of the peloton but were brought back.
Thibaut Pinot of FDJ tried his luck with four kilometres left and he succeeded in taking a lead of twenty seconds over the group of favourites which now included Chris Froome of Team Sky.
Bardet and Zakarin of Team Katusha went after Pinot but today was his day and the Frenchman took the win in 4.38.54, seven seconds ahead of Zakarin and twenty ahead of Bardet.
That second place for Illnur Zakarin was enough for him to take over as the new race leader due to Michael Albasini having been dropped on a couple of the climbs and the twenty six year old takes a six second lead over Pinot and fourteen seconds over Froome going into the final stage.
Source: DSG
