John Degenkolb sprinted to second on the difficult finish on stage 5 of the Vuelta behind winner Caleb Ewan. Tom Dumoulin is the new leader in the GC after small splits happened in the bunch.

On paper the fifth stage was a day for the sprinters at the Vuelta a Espana. The relatively flat course of 167.3km brought the peloton from Rota to Alcala de Guadaira.

A traditional bunch sprint scenario unfolded as three early escapees got away after 4km. Team Giant-Alpecin and Orica GreenEDGE led the chase and caught back the breakaway while the bunch sprint was prepared.

In the sprint on the slightly ascending finishing straight John Degenkolb took second, just behind winner Caleb Ewan (Orica – GreenEDGE). Because small splits happened in the bunch Tom Dumoulin takes over the GC lead by 1″.

A happy but surprised Tom Dumoulin said: “It is a strange feeling to have the red jersey now, I wasn’t expecting it today. Our plan was to help John and my part was to lead the team in the final 2km. In the hecticness of the finale I lost my team mates and just sprinted to make sure I didn’t lose any time. On my way to the bus I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get the stage victory until I suddenly heard that I had the red jersey via my radio.

“Personally I was disappointed after my crash at the Tour as at the time I had the chance to take the yellow jersey. It took me two weeks to recover and from that moment I was really determined to come back even stronger. We have worked really hard and been very dedicated in training, and the feelings are good. Now I am here in the leader’s jersey and I’m really enjoying it.

“Before starting the Vuelta the time trial in third week was my main goal, but now I will try to keep the jersey as long as possible and will not give it up without a fight. There are some hard days coming up so we will see.

“I am asking myself more and more what kind of a rider I am, too. I am still a time triallist, and that’s where I’ve got all my victories as a professional so far, but I’m starting to climb very well, too. It’s all progressing, and who knows what my limits are?

"I haven’t tried to go for a general classification in a Grand Tour, but maybe from now on I should start looking at week-long stage races in one part of the season and just focus on the time trials in the other. It's all going forward actually. Maybe in a while I'll try to go for the GC in a Grand Tour but for now it's more for stage wins.

“Today [after Degenkolb’s near-miss] I’ve got mixed feelings about the stage, but personally I have to say I’m happy with how things worked out for me. I wanted yellow in the Tour but here I am in the lead instead.

"Tomorrow is a hard stage, but I’m not giving this one up without a fight. Suisse this year was a reminder that I have to take my chances whenever I can, use good legs whenever I can use them.

“If I had done Suisse at 90 percent and then had my crash at the Tour, I would have had nothing. When I look at that, I know I have to take my chances. Hopefully at the World Championships I will have that chance again.”

"After my crash in the Tour, I was not in a happy place. Then I switched the button and I said to myself I must be motivated for the end of the season. The healing of my shoulder went well. Now it works out like this. It's very special to me. 

"It was super hard. I was just coming after him but it didn't work", Degenkolb said.

Coach Addy Engels added: “To take the leader’s jersey at a Grand Tour is great. Upfront we did not expect Tom [Dumoulin] to be this strong already, but we knew he had done the hard work to get here, so this feels as a present surprise and a nice reward.

“Our primary goal for today was to win the stage with John [Degenkolb] and the sprint preparation well well. Too bad he was beaten only just.

“We will try to keep the jersey in the team as long as possible. There are some hard climbing days ahead, but we will take it day by day.”