Most had expected today's stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné to be a quiet affair for the GC riders but Alberto Contador took things into his own hands by launching a surprise move on a descent. Ultimately the move was unsuccessful and afterwards the Spaniard admitted that the attack had never been planned but was the result of the slow pace of the peloton.

Today’s 189.5 kilometer long fifth stage of Dauphiné Libéré from Sisteron to La Mure was a mountainous ride containing 6 categorized climbs but with a flat finish. A perfect opportunity for a group of tenacious escapees while the GC contenders were expected to spend another day in the field.
 
No less than 17 riders formed a promising breakaway consisting of well-known riders such as Jens Voigt (Trek Factory), Christophe le Mevel (Cofidis), Simon Spilak (Katusha) and Jan Bakelandts (Omega-Pharma Quick Step). And it was Le Mevel who lit up the fireworks going into the final as he set off from the break with 35 kilometers to go but Michaël Cherel (Ag2R) went with him and soon dropped Le Mevel.
 
In the meanwhile, Tinkoff-Saxo took the responsibility of the pace in the pack and in the hilly terrain, the heaviest riders were simply sliced off but as Sergio Paulinhomanaged to create a gap, Sky were handed the responsibility. A few minutes later,Alberto Contador launched a surprising attack and quickly bridged the gap to Paulinho who dragged his captain as long as he could. Crossing the top of the final climb 20 kilometers to go, the Tinkoff-Saxo captain had a 15 second lead to Froome.
 
But with 13 kilometers remaining, Contador was swept up by the group with the leader’s jersey and in the front of the race, Cherel was replaced by Simon Spilak (Katusha) now speeding towards the finish line and Spilak took the second consecutive win for Katusha.
 
Behind, a very rare scene of random attacks dominated the finale in the group of favorites but Alberto finished the stage side by side with Chris Froome. The Tinkoff-Saxo Spaniard is still 12 seconds behind the Sky rider.

“We are here to train so we can try to put the other teams under pressure, especially Sky, and change the script a bit," Contador said. "In this race I can afford it as I don't have the pressure to win.

"Itwas not planned at all. I saw we were going very slowly and had a teammate in front. I quickly saw that I opened a gap and decided to go forward.

"[I knew] it was very difficult. There were 20 flat kilometres and I would only have had a chance if I had reached the front of the race. I could see that the escapees were far away and didn't catch them so it was impossible to make it to the finish.

“I had fun, the stage has been interesting and that is good for everyone. We started the descent in front, we have seen that many precautions were taken and we were not going fast. That's why I told Sergio Paulinho to go forward and I also decided to go.

"I did not see [any kind of weakness from Sky or Froome]. I only saw that it was a tough day for everyone, also for Sky who controlled the race so I decided to give it  ago. When there are attacks, it is also more interesting.

"Now it is important to recover for the weekend. I have said that I take it day by day. My goal is 22 days away. Here I will do what I can but I recognize that Froome was the strongest in the two important stages, the time trial and the summit finish, so a lot has to change for the weekend."

"Alberto's attack was a bit of a surprise for the fans, for the field and for us as well," sports director Philippe Mauduit said. "But I think it was a really nice surprise and a good sign of Alberto's form and will to win. At the same time, it was a test of Chris Froome and his teammates who had to work hard to bring him back.

"Unfortunately, Rory Sutherland was in a crash and injured his left hand but he's being examined as we speak. Tomorrow, I expect a tough finish and the sprinters will have to dig deep in order to make it to the finish."