Samu not yet there as break rules Britain

Samuel Sánchez showed he's ready for a World Championships berth at the Tour of Britain's fifth stage on Thursday, but his lack of protagonism in the finale showed a start at the worlds is probably going to be as good as it gets.

Samu, along with Pierre Cazaux and, initially, Pablo Urtasun too, infiltrated the decisive 23-man group that was left to fight it out for stage honours on the 149,6km Stoke on Trent-stage. The stage would, in normal circumstances anyway, had suited Samu to a tee what with it's lumpy nature, but the Euskaltel captain (and his French team-mate) was quickly dispatched out the back of the lead group as soon as the pace ratcheted up inside the last click. UnitedHealthcare's former Rabobank-pro Marc de Maar was somewhat surprisingly allowed to sweep home for a solo win, while a rather biggish group, led home by Sep Vanmarcke, came in 15 seconds back. Samuel crossed the line a distant 1:18 down though in 20th place, signalling he might be set for domestique duties at the Valkenburg worlds. Cazaux came in 19th, while the rest of the team came in with the pack some six and a half minutes in arrears.

Sánchez will have another chance to prove his fitness tomorrow though, as the sixth stage takes the peloton on an at times hilly ride from Welshpool to Caerphilly.

Results stage five (full results here):

• (1, Marc de Maar (UnitedHealthcare), 3:30:27)
• 19, Pierre Cazaux, 0:40
• 20, Samuel Sánchez, 1:18
• 46, Ricardo García, 6:34
• 56, Adrián Sáez, s.t.
• 58, Pablo Urtasun, s.t.

Photo: Roz Jonez Photography