Andre Greipel wins fifth stage and continues German domination at Tour de France

Having won Sunday’s second stage as well, Greipel overhauled Briton Mark Cavendish and Alexander Kristoff of Norway while holding off the fast-finishing Slovak Peter Sagan.

Germany's Andre Greipel, centre, celebrates as he crosses the finish line ahead of Norway's Alexander Kristoff, far left, Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen, second left, Britain's sprinter Mark Cavendish,Show more

Amiens, France // Andre Greipel won a rain-drenched fifth stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish on Wednesday, while fellow German Tony Martin kept the yellow jersey and the main Tour contenders stayed safe as others tumbled around them.

Greipel attacked about 100 metres from the line and held on to beat Slovakian Peter Sagan, with British sprinter Mark Cavendish third.

“It was quite an impressive sprint, because none of the sprinters had their lead-out man,” said the 32-year-old Greipel, who timed his move brilliantly down the left. “I somehow managed to find space. I knew the right side was blocked.”

The mostly flat stage took the riders over 189.5 kilometres from Arras to Amiens in northern France, passing some of the battlefields of World War I.

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Riders hoping for a stress-free stage after three days of intense racing were to be disappointed as the rain, which largely stayed away the day before, thundered down and turned the slippery roads of northern France into something of an ice rink.

“It was also very crazy today with rain, wind and a lot of crashes and I’m happy with how we finished,” said Sagan, who spent most of his day making sure teammate Alberto Contador stayed safe.

Greipel clinched his second stage win of the race – and eighth of his Tour career – punching the air in delight before he crossed the line. It was the third win overall in five stages for German riders after Tony Martin’s success in Tuesday’s fourth stage.

“I’m happy that we can bring the Tour de France back to Germany,” said Greipel, who claimed that “mother nature” was responsible for German riders seeming so strong in sprints.

“I have to thank my mother as I have some fast-twitching muscles,” he said.

The day’s seventh and biggest crash happened at the back of the peloton with 25km to go.

While not as brutal as Monday’s huge crash, it was spectacular and took down about 30 riders. Three went off the road to the right, tumbling into crash barriers. Behind them, others fell in a domino effect. Frenchman Thibaut Pinot, third on last year’s Tour, had his second crash of the day.

Martin, a three-time world time-trial champion, ended the day with a lead of 12 seconds over 2013 Tour champion Chris Froome and 25 seconds over American rider Tejay Van Garderen. “I’m realistic to know that when the big mountains come I won’t be able to stay with the main riders,” Martin said.

Among the main contenders, Froome leads two-time Tour champion Contador by 36 seconds, defending champion Vincenzo Nibali by one minute, 38 seconds and Colombian rider Nairo Quintana, the 2013 runner-up, by 1:56.

The day’s first crash took down several Cofidis riders, including Nacer Bouhanni. Team manager Yvon Sanquer said Bouhanni injured his hips, ribs and a wrist but did not break any bones.

Yesterday was also a day for remembrance for those who fell in World War I. Before the stage through the farming regions of Artois and the Somme, Froome and Sky teammate Peter Kennaugh laid a wreath on the Commonwealth Memorial at the Franco-British cemetery in Arras.

Australian riders from the Orica-Greenedge team joined the tribute, wearing black ­armbands.

The Battle of the Somme was one of the most ferocious of the two world wars. There were 60,000 Allied casualties on the first day and hundreds of thousands on each side were killed and wounded from July to November 1916.

Riders also passed the Necropole Nationale de Rancourt, France’s biggest World War I cemetery, and the South African national memorial of Bois ­Delville.

Stage 6 is another mostly flat stage for sprinters, taking the pack over 191.5km from Abbeville to Le Havre, France’s biggest commercial port.

Points Classification Tour de France after Stage 5 on Wednesday

1. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 151

2. Peter Sagan (Slovakia / Tinkoff - Saxo) 119

3. John Degenkolb (Germany / Giant) 89

4. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Etixx - Quick-Step) 86

5. Tony Martin (Germany / Etixx - Quick-Step) 60

6. Bryan Coquard (France / Europcar) 55

7. Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium / BMC Racing) 42

8. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 40

9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Team MTN) 33

10. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) 30

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