Jumbo-Visma is Tour's new big force: Vaughters

PRIVAS (France) • Ineos Grenadiers, whose previous iteration Team Sky won seven of the last eight editions of the Tour de France, no longer have the same air of invincibility here.

According to the manager of rival team EF Pro Cycling, Jonathan Vaughters, there is a new player in town in Jumbo-Visma.

In an interview with Eurosport and GCN yesterday, the head of the American team claimed "Ineos are off their game", adding: "They're not what they have been in the past years."

His assertion was reinforced yesterday as Jumbo's Wout van Aert won the fifth stage of the Tour, in what was a 183km ride from Gap, with no breakaway, an almost unprecedented scenario in normal racing conditions in the modern era.

Dutchman Cees Bol of Team Sunweb was second and Deceuninck-Quick-Step's Sam Bennett took third place to become the first Irishman to wear the green jersey for the points classification since Sean Kelly in 1990.

Belgian van Aert said: "It was a heavy finish, it was the easiest stage I've ever done in a cycling race before because there was no breakaway and it was not a high pace. But then everyone was fresh in the last hour, it was high pace and high winds.

"I knew it was a stage that suited me and just so happy I got the opportunity from the team to go for it. I have my stage win and from now on I will support the team even more."

France's Julian Alaphilippe of Belgian team Deceuninck-Quick-Step received a 20-second penalty for illegal feeding, handing the yellow jersey to Britain's Adam Yates of Australian outfit Mitchelton-Scott.

Jumbo-Visma leader and favourite Primoz Roglic of Slovenia is three seconds behind Yates in second. And with Dutch teammate Tom Dumoulin in sixth and trailing Yates by 13 seconds, Vaughters has been impressed by the Dutch outfit, who "have shown their strength early".

REUTERS