MADRID, March 25, 2011 – France’s Samuel Dumoulin of the Cofidis team
won Friday’s fifth stage of the Tour of Catalonia in a sprint finish, while
embattled Spanish rider Alberto Contador retained the leader’s jersey.

Dumoulin covered the 205.8-kilometer ride from Vendrell to Tarragona, the
longest stage of this year’s event, in four hours and 49 minutes.

He edged Spain’s Jose Rojas of Movistar and Ruben Perez of Euskatel in a
mass sprint to the line in which 161 of the 172 riders finished with the same
time as the winner.

Contador crossed in 76th position but nevertheless retained the overall
lead that he first claimed during Wednesday’s grueling third stage in the
Pyrenees mountains.

He holds a 23-second lead over American Levi Leipheimer of Radioshack and
Italy’s Michele Scarponi of the Lampre team, and is firm favorite to win the
event on Sunday.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Thursday it would appeal
the Spanish federation’s decision to acquit Contador of doping allegations.

The Spaniard had tested positive for a tiny amount of the banned
muscle-building substance clenbuterol during last July’s Tour, which he went
on to win.

But he was cleared to compete when the Spanish cycling federation last
month rescinded an initial decision to hand down a one-year ban, accepting the
rider’s claim that he had unknowingly eaten drug-contaminated meat and was
therefore not negligent.

Saturday’s penultimate stage of the Tour of Catalonia takes the riders 184
kilometers from Tarragona to Mollet del Valles.

Stage:
1. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) Cofidis 4hr 49min 00sec. 2. Jose Rojas (ESP)
Movistar same time. 3. Ruben Perez (ESP) Euskatel s.t., 4. Aitor Galdos (ESP)
Caja Rural s.t., 5. Michel Golas (POL) Vacansoleil s.t. 6. Diego Milan (ESP)
Caja Rural s.t. 7. Nicholas Roche (IRL) AG2R s.t. 8. Manuel Cardoso (POR)
Radioshack s.t. 9. Kenny Dehaes (BEL) Omega s.t., 10. Frantisek Rabon (CZE)
HTC s.t.
Others: 76. Alberto Contador (ESP) Saxo Bank s.t.

Overall standings:
1. Alberto Contador (ESP) Saxo Bank 22hr 28min 05sec, 2. Levi Leipheimer
(USA) Radioshack at 23sec, 3. Michele Scarponi (ITA) Lampre s.t., 4. Daniel
Martin (IRL) Garmin at 35 sec., 5. Chris Horner (USA) s.t., 6. Rigoberto Uran
(COL) at 38 sec. 7. Ivan Basso (ITA) Liquigas s.t, 8. Xavier Tondo (ESP)
Movistar s.t., 9. Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC at 50 sec., 10. Bauke Mollema (NED)
Rabobank at 1min 12sec.

Article:AFP