BARCELONA — Maximilian Schachmann held on after a long breakaway to win the flat fifth stage of the Tour de Catalonia to Sant Cugat del Valles on Friday.
The German, who rides for Bora-Hansgrohe and was the sole survivor of an early breakaway, finished 12 seconds clear of the pack at the end of the 188.1 kilometer stage.
Michael Matthews, an Australian with Sunweb who had won stage two, powered to second place.
Schachmann told Eurosport that in the final 40 kilometers "the group wasn't working very well, so I attacked and I did one of my biggest rides."
It was his second victory this season and his second in the Tour of Catalonia, where he took a stage last season. "I like this race," the 25-year-old said.
Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez of Astana retained his 14 second lead over Briton Adam Yates of Mitchelton Scott at the top of the overall standings.
Egan Bernal of Sky walked in behind the main pack carrying his bicycle on his shoulder after suffering a mechanical problem but was given the same time as the pack and kept his third spot in the standings.
Results in the fifth stage of the Tour of Catalonia, 188.1km from Puigcerda to Sant Cugat del Valles on Friday:
1. Maximilian Schachmann (GER/BOR)4hr 25min 45sec, 2. Michael Matthews (AUS/SUN) at 13 sec, 3. Ryan Gibbons (RSA/DDT) st, 4. Daryl Impey (RSA/MIT) st, 5. Patrick Bevin (NZL/CCC) st, 6. Phil Bauhaus (GER/BAH) st, 7. Jay McCarthy (AUS/BOR) at 15 sec, 8. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) st, 9. Bjorg Lambrecht (BEL/LOT) st, 10. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL/AST) st.
Overall standings:
1. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL/Astana) 21hrs 57min 5sec, 2. Adam Yates (GBR/MIT) at 14 sec, 3. Egan Bernal (COL/SKY) 17, 4. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 25, 5. Daniel Martin (IRL/UAE) 46, 6. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/JUM) 56, 7. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 1:44. 8. Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) 2:27, 9. Marc Soler (ESP/MOV) 2:36, 10. Simon Yates (GBR/MIT) 2:39.
World champion Valverde
To retire after 2021 season
World champion Alejandro Valverde will retire from professional cycling in 2021, the Spaniard was quoted as saying on Friday.
"In principle I will retire in 2021... I will do one more year after the Tokyo Olympics. I think that's fine," the Movistar rider told El Periodico.
The 38-year-old, who won the rainbow jersey for the first time in Innsbruck, Austria, last year, won the Vuelta a Espana in 2009, also finishing third in the 2015 the Tour de France and in the 2016 Giro d'Italia.
He also won the oldest of the classic one-day races, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, four times, and the Fleche Wallonne a record five times.
Valverde was given a two-year suspension from the sport in 2010 for his implication in the Operation Puerto blood-doping investigation, even though he never failed a dope test.
He will take part in the Giro and the Vuelta this year before defending his world title in Yorkshire. — Agencies
