Freire wins Tour de France fifth stage

CAEN (France): Oscar Freire of Spain won a bunched sprint to claim the 225-km fifth stage of the Tour de France from Beauvais to Caen on Thursday.

The Rabobank rider outsprinted Belgian Tom Boonen (Quick Step), who retained the yellow jersey. Spaniard Inaki Isasi (Euskaltel) was third.

Two riders, Bjoern Schroeder of Germany and Frenchman Samuel Dumoulin, led the stage for 200 kms before being caught with less than five to go.

Tour de France fifth stage results   
1. Oscar Freire (ESP/RAB) 5h18min 50sec
2. Tom Boonen (BEL/QST) at 0:00
3. Inaki Isasi (ESP/EUS) 0:00
4. David Kopp (GER/GRL) 0:00
5. Robbie McEwen (AUS/DAV) 0:00
6. Alessandro Ballan (ITA/LAM) 0:00
7. Thor Hushovd (NOR/C.A) 0:00
8. Francisco Jose Ventoso (ESP/SDU) 0:00
9. Erik Zabel (GER/MIL) 0:00
10. Bernhard Eisel (AUT/FDJ) 0:00

Tour de France overall standings:
1. Tom Boonen (BEL/QST) 25h10min 51sec
2. Michael Rogers (AUS/MOB) at 0:13
3. Oscar Freire (ESP/RAB) 0:17
4. George Hincapie (USA/DIS) 0:17
5. Thor Hushovd (NOR/C.A) 0:19
6. Robbie McEwen (AUS/DAV) 0:24
7. Paolo Savoldelli (ITA/DIS) 0:27
8. Floyd Landis (USA/PHO) 0:28
9. Vladimir Karpets (RUS/CEP) 0:29
10. Serhiy Honchar (UKR/MOB) 0:29