Team Columbia's Andre Greipel leads the Tour of Spain after winning his second stage in a row.
German seizes Tour of Spain lead with stage five success
Team Columbia's Andre Greipel took control of the Tour of Spain with his second consecutive stage win.
Greipel prevailed in a sprint finish at the conclusion of stage five's 174-kilometre route from Tarragona to Vinaros - the race having finally arrived on Spanish soil after the first four days were spent in the Benelux countries.
The German earned a 20-second time bonus for the victory, enough to take the overall lead off Fabian Cancellara, who came home in the main bunch - 18 seconds adrift of the leading 14 riders.
Belgium's Tom Boonen, of Quick-Step, was second with Italian Daniele Bennati taking third for Liquigas.
Brave effort
Philippe Gilbert made a solo bid for glory and retained a 20-second lead going into the final six kms before being swallowed up by the peloton to leave the sprinters to battle it out.
Bennati held the advantage going into the final km but he was reeled in by Boonen and then Greipel, who rounded both men to cross the line first.
The stage did not end so well for Milram's Gerald Ciolek, who suffered a crash in the final kilometre, but at least avoided serious injury.
Stage five result:1 A Greipel (Germany/Columbia) 4 hrs 27 mins 54 secs
2 T Boonen (Belgium/Quick-Step) "
3 D Bennati (Italy/Liquigas) "
4 T Farrar (US/Garmin) "
5 W Bonnet (France/Bbox - Bouygues) "
6 J Roelandts (Belgium/Silence-Lotto) "
7 O Freire (Spain/Rabobank) "
8 B Bozic (Slovenia/Vacansoleil) "
9 D Vigano (Italy/Fuji) "
10 F Pacheco (Spain/Contentpolis) same time
Overall standings:1 A Greipel (Germany/Columbia) 19 hrs 40 mins 23 secs
2 T Boonen (Belgium/Quick-Step) +6 secs
3 D Bennati (Italy/Liquigas) +17"
4 T Farrar (US/Garmin) +21"
5 F Cancellara (Switzerland/Saxo Bank) +27"
