Quickstep's team rider Tom Boonen of Belgium (right), wearing the leader's yellow jersey, cycles ahead of Davitamone's team rider Robbie McEwen of Australia, wearing the sprinter's green jersey, during the fifth stage of the 93rd Tour de France between Beauvais and Caen yesterday. Both maintained their jerseys. - REUTERS
CAEN, France (Reuters):
SPANIARD OSCAR Freire deprived Tom Boonen of his first win in this year's Tour de France when he outsprinted the world champion to clinch the fifth stage yesterday.
The Rabobank rider surged down the right of the finishing straight to surprise the Belgian who retained his overall leader's yellow jersey.
The Quick Step rider enjoys a 13-second lead over Australian Michael Rogers of the T-Mobile team.
"Every sprint is difficult here, there's always danger involved," said three-times world champion Freire.
"I had a pretty good position, which is very important. I started quite a long way back."
Boonen said: "Explosiveness is still there, and I'm still waiting, but I'm still happy in yellow for three straight days."
Spain's Inaki Isasi (Euskaltel) finished third on the 225-km stage from Beauvais to Caen.
Australian Robbie McEwen failed to find his rhythm in the mass sprint and finished fifth, but kept his green sprinters' jersey.
Frenchman Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R) and Bjoern Schroeder of Germany (Milram) took off from the peloton after some 20 kms.
"The Tour de France happens only once a year so I wanted to make the most of it," said Dumoulin.
They opened up a 12-minute gap after the main pack were forced to lower the pace when they went through the first rain showers of the race in Normandy.
The Credit Agricole, Davi-tamon-Lotto and Quick Step teams started their pursuit 30 kms from the finish and caught the two fugitives with less than five kms to go.
Friday's sixth stage will take the peloton over 189 kms from Lisieux to Vitre as the Tour enters Brittany.
