German Scachmann stays clear to win 5th stage of Volta de Catalunya

MADRID, March 29 (Xinhua) -- German cyclist Maximillian Scachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) won the fifth stage of the Volta de Catalunya (Tour of Catalonia) on Friday.

Scachmann won a stage in last year's race and rode brilliantly on Friday forming part of the main escape of the day and managing to cling on at the end despite the desperate attempts of the main sprinting teams to neutralize him in the closing kilometers.

The 189-kilometer stage between Puigcerda and Sant Cugat de Valles (close to Barcelona) began with a first category climb, which always looked as if it would invite a breakaway after two mountain stages.

Meanwhile, the majority of the stage was over rolling terrain, which meant the big teams took time to get organized in their pursuit.

Although the remaining riders in the break were swept up by the peloton, Scachmann clung on in a nail-biting finish to win the stage by 13 seconds.

The stage profile meant there was no change to the overall standings which are still left by Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) with a 14-second lead over Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott).

Saturday's stage takes the riders over a hilly 169 kilometers between Valls and Vila-Seca, before the race finishes with a circuit around Barcelona on Sunday.