Tadej Pogacar is poised to punish the peloton

The Tour de France defending champion has won the fifth stage, a 27-kilometre individual time trial, to sit eight seconds adrift of yellow jersey-wearer Mathieu van der Poel.

Many riders are still fighting injuries from earlier crashes but leading contenders like Primoz Roglic, Geraint Thomas and Richard Carapaz each lost ground.

Pogacar says he had a near perfect day.



The alleged cardboard-carrying culprit who caused a pile-up during the first stage has been arrested and taken into custody in Brittany.