Unable to follow the rhythm of the best, Thursday during the 5th stage of the Tour de Switzerland, the queen stage of this edition, Romain Grégoire gives way to Kevin Vauquelin, new leader. The victory returned to Oscar Onley, beaten the day before by Joao Almeida, but who took his revenge on the Portuguese, offering himself at the same time his first victory in World Tour.
A Frenchman hunts the other at the controls of the Tour of Switzerland. Still in the lead at the time of aligning itself at the start of the 5th stage, the queen stage of this edition, this Thursday, Romain Grégoire experienced a small nightmare from the first climbs of the day. The runner of the Groupama-FDJ team, who quickly understood that he would not keep his yellow jersey one more day, gives in his leading tunic-which he had been carrying since Sunday-to his compatriot Kevin Vauquelin, very good, on the many difficulties offered by this 5th stage.
The Norman has failed to follow the pace of Joao Almeida, the big favorite of this Tour of Switzerland to the end. However, he did better than limiting the breakage by ranking 4th, just under a minute (57 seconds) of the winner of the day. Almeida? No, Oscar Onley. Twenty-four hours after having undergone the Portuguese law in the most full-bodied pass of the day, the young Scottish climber of 22 years offered his revenge by winning the sprint at the top of Santa Maria in Calenca in front of the usual lieutenant of Tadej Pogacar.
Alaphilippe, Dauphin de Vauquelin
After Julian Alaphilippe, the good surprise of the day, launched hostilities first in the last climb, Onley, who had joined and then dropped the French puncture, and his partner of escape to the line argued the victory. The former teammate of Romain Bardet stood the first on the pedals. The Briton even seemed to be without difficulty offering his very first victory in the World Tour. Almeida, returned very strong in the last meters, tried to deprive him by throwing his bike (certainly in a little academic way), but in vain.
In the same way as Felix Gall, 3rd in this stage, the now third in the general classification (these ten seconds of bonus that he let go Thursday could cost him very dear) nevertheless performs a good operation. It is however Alaphilippe, not far from heroic on Thursday on the lands of his new team, which is found in the shoes of Dauphin de Vauquelin, the new leader. The yellow jersey remains French.
