Vuelta joy for Aussie Caleb Ewan

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin both preserved their high overall placings in the Vuelta a Espana yesterday and look well poised to strike for the race lead today.

The fifth stage of the race into the Andalucian town of Ronda was won by rising Australian star Caleb Ewan of Orica-GreenEDGE after he held off John Degenkolb (Giant Alpecin) and third-placed Peter Sagan (Tinkoff Saxo).Roche and Martin were in a group eight seconds behind, 22nd and 27th respectively, and are now just 16 and 25 seconds off the top of the general standings.

The overall race lead changed hands following the conclusion of the stage as overnight leader Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEDGE) came across the line in that same group as the Irish pair, but up ahead in a group of 13 riders was Tom Dumoulin (Giant Alpecin), who started the day second just five seconds down.