Voeckler claims maiden stage success
Frenchman Thomas Voeckler dashed clear of a long-time six-man breakaway group in the final five kilometres to win the fifth stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday.
The Bouygues Telecom rider left rivals Anthony Geslin, Marcin Sapa, Mikhail Ignatiev, Yauheni Hutarovitch and Albert Timmer for dead late on to claim glory following a 196.5km jaunt from Le Cap d'Agde to Perpignan.
Katusha's Ignatiev claimed second and Team Columbia's Mark Cavendish came third, enabling the green jersey to extend his lead in the sprinters' points classification.
There was no change to the leaders in the general classification, with yellow jersey Fabian Cancellara, second-placed Lance Armstrong and third-placed Alberto Contador safely among the peloton.
"I've been chasing that victory for such a long time," said Voeckler, who clinched his maiden Tour stage success.
"I never believed I would do it having seen the gap close.
"It is only when I was 300 metres from the line that I started to believe in victory."
