Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) soloed to victory on stage five of Paris-Nice to move up to second overall as Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEDGE) held on to the yellow jersey.
The lower slopes of Mont Ventoux featured on the undulating stage, which climbed as far as Chalet Reynard, but the chief GC contenders – Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas among them – were undeterred as a large group remained together over the summit.
Some sprinters, Matthews and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) remained in that group but Lutsenko foiled them all with a late attack, catching and passing what remained of the day’s break to claim stage victory.
His gap was closed sufficiently in the final few kilometres to just deny him the race lead, however, ahead of what should be a pivotal summit finish atop La Madone.
