Escape artist finally stays away.

Voeckler finally wins a tour stage.

Thomas Voeckler is a breakaway specialist. Sure his breakaways dont usually succeed, but the little frenchman is always there, aggressive and living in hope that the peleton does not quite get it right. And so it was again in stage 5, 29km into the 196km stage Voeckler and 5 others set out on an adventure. So many breakaways do not succeed, especially on a flat stage like this one, but the Team Time trial from the previous day had obviously made the peleton get a little lethargic. They got closer and closer and Voeckler must have thought he was going to be denied again, so with 5km to go he split from the escapees. The peleton almost had their timing right, for they caught all but Voeckler and breakaway companion Mikhail Ignatiev who just managed to hold on for 2nd. Cavendish was at the head of the chasing peleton from Farrar and Ciolek. (damn it - if the peleton could count I would have had my Cav/Ciolek collects!)

Every year they have have a laugh at Voeckler and his seemingly misguided attacks. Usually the commentators talk about how he loves to be seen, loves the camera and likes to win an intermediate sprint or climb. However in 2004 he became a national hero when he and Aussie Stuart O'Grady led a 5 men breakaway that succeeded. That stage was also stage 5 and also the day after the Team Time Trial. The peleton was not interested in chasing that day and the gap got fairly bit, the final break was over 12 minutes. O'Grady won the stage but the big time meant that Voeckler was in Yellow. He held that Jersey for 10 days before Lance decided he wanted it back. Ever since he has been trying and failing, but finally he got a coveted Tour de France stage win. I guess i would probaly do the same.

The coastal winds did cause a split in the peleton again however nothing of note changed, all the main names were in the group that led the split and margins remain the same.