Vuelta a Andalucia 2014 - Stage 5

The Vuelta a Andalucia concluded yesterday with its fifth and final stage, 159.8 kilometres from Ubrique to Fuengirola. It was a lumpy stage but all Alejandro Valverde had to do was finish in the front group and he would take his third win in as many years in Andalucia. He went into the stage with a twenty second lead over Team Sky's Richie Porte.

A large breakaway did try its hand on the stage, containing nine riders. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Tim Wellens (Lotto-Belisol), Laurens Ten Dam (Belkin), Linus Gerdemann (MTN-Qhubeka), Amets Txurruka (Caja-Rural), Javier Mejias (Novo Nordisk), Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Shimano), Adrian Honkisz (CCC Polsat) and Julian Arredondo (Trek) were the members. 

Amets Txurruka was under three minutes from Valverde's overall lead, so Movistar never really let the breakaway get too far ahead on the road. Their lead was always under control, and with around thirty kilometres to go the cohesion started to break down. Dumoulin was the man who tried to go clear, and in the end broke free alone, stretching his lead to around two minutes at its highest.

Dumoulin was finally swept up with five kilometres to go, and the peloton looked like it was settling down for a sprint finish. Topsport-Vlaanderen Baloise worked to bring Kenneth Van Bilsen to the front when a roundabout with two kilometres to go meant that six riders split from the front of the peloton. Van Bilsen receieved an effective leadout, but Moreno Hofland (Belkin) and Nikias Arndt (Giant-Shimano) came round him.

Hofland won the stage, infront of Arndt. The majority of the peloton finished one second down, Valverde finished safely, and completed his victory. His three stage wins and overall title show his early season form is perhaps above that of some of his contemporaries. Richie Porte finished second overall, a satisfying but slightly frustrating week, especially because Sky didn't get a stage win out of the race.