Italian rider Alessandro Petacchi of the Fassa Bortolo team won today's stage five of the Tour de France in a bunch sprint finish, it is his third stage win in only five stages. He produced a well-timed attack towards the end to overhaul Australia's Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen who looked like taking the stage victory.
US Postal's Victor Hugo Pena of Colombia retained the yellow jersey after finishing in the main peloton. Team-mate Lance Armstrong also finished in that group and remains 1 second behind Pena.
Pena himself admits he is only keeping the jersey warm for 31-year-old Texan Armstrong who is bidding for a record-equalling fifth consecutive Tour win and who is expected to come into his own this weekend as the race reaches the mountains for the first time.
Petacchi, however, was the hero on the day and he held three fingers aloft in triumph as he crossed the line. "Today it was a very tough race and my team worked very hard for me. It is already a very good Tour," Petacchi told French television immediately after the race.
Friday's sixth stage is a 230.5km run from Nevers to Lyon before the first serious mountain stages on Sunday.
Filed by Johnny Proby
