Chris Froome (SKY) managed to out-sprint Alberto Contador (Team Saxo-Tinkoff) and Joachim Rodriguez (Katusha) to claim the fifth stage of the Tour of Oman and extend his overall lead. The trio had pulled away on the last of three climbs.

Two-time stage winner Peter Sagan (Canondale) did not make it to the start of the fifth stage due to bronchitis. After a nervous start, the race seemed to settle down as a nine-man group formed and built up a lead of just over three and a half minutes.

However, today's stage took the field over the Bousher Almarat climb three times in succession, and the favorites clearly weren't going to let the group stay away. Alberto Contador attacked out of the chase group as they topped the climb for the second time, but he and the lead group were soon caught by a chase group consisting of 25 riders.

The third climb witnessed the formation of an elite lead group including all the top names. Contador and teammate Jesus Hernandez, who had been in the first break group, attacked along with Cadel Evans (BMC), with race leader Chris Froome (Sky) unable to respond to their accelerations. Evans was soon dropped and Contador once again took off on his own, furiously chased by Froome and yesterday's winner, Joachim Rodriguez.

Rodriguez and Froome made contact with Contador and the trio took off with a slight lead over a group led by Evans on the 12.5km downhill run-in to the finish. Contador attacked several times and Froome counter-attacked as they battled it out for the spoils of the day.