Modolo triumphs on stage five

Lampre-Merida rider Modolo has been on the podium several times this season but was yet to win a stage, a statistic he changed on Thursday as he outsprinted Carlos Barbero (Caja Rural) and Michal Kolar (Tinkoff-Saxo) for the win.

Cavenish's Etixx-QuickStep team had tried to deliver the Manxman into the final straight, but misjudged the uphill approach to the final straight and their star sprinter ended up 15th, four seconds adrift.

43-year-old Davide Rebellin, winner of stage three in a summit finish, finished in the leading bunch to extend his overall lead to 22 seconds from Kristijan Durasek (Lampre-Merida) with three stages left.

Modolo was delighted to break his duck on the rolling 160km stage.

"I’ve had a lot of placings and so I need this win,” he said. "I always want to win and after the good work I did before the season, I thought I’d get some results.

"Fortunately it seems my moment is coming now, at the most important moment of the season, ready for the Giro d’Italia.

"The finish suited me, it was about speed and power on the rising finish. I knew it was a massive chance for me and that I had to take it."

Elsewhere, Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) tightened his grip on the overall lead at the Tour de Romandie as he defeated Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep) into second place in a group sprint for the second successive day.

There was a reduced peloton at the end of a rolling stage to Porrentruy, and although the final ascent of the Côte de Lure failed to spark any significant attacks, a number of riders - including Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-QuickStep) - all made attempts to forge clear on the descent.

Lampre-Merida's Rui Costa took up the reins in the final kilometre before Tony Martin took over on the front in support of Alaphilippe. Etixx-QuickStep were outmanoeuvred by the canny Simon Gerrans, however, who led into the final corner and delivered Albasini into the perfect positon for the sprint.

Alaphilippe took second place while Damiano Caruso (BMC) emerged to take third.

Thanks to the 10-second bonus for winning the stage, Albasini has doubled his overall lead to 20 seconds ahead of his teammate Ivan Santaromita and Sky's Chris Froome.

1. Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida

2. Carlos Barbero Cuesta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

3. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo

4. Michal Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo

5. Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast

6. Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal

7. Eduard Prades Reverte (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

8. Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare

9. Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice

10. Pello Bilbao Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

1. Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 19:42:08

2. Kristijan Durasek (Cro) Lampre-Merida +22"

3. Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Séché Environnement +54"

4. Jay Mccarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo +1:20

5. Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - Qhubeka +1:38