Lutsenko wins Vuelta’s 5th stage, Froome adds to lead

Astana Pro Team's Alexey Lutsenko celebrates before he crosses the finish line. (Claude Paris/AP Photo)

ALCOSSEBRE, Spain — Chris Froome increased his lead in the Spanish Vuelta during a fifth stage won by Alexey Lutsenko of Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

Lutsenko left behind Marco Haller at the start of the stage’s finally climb, a short but steep trudge up to the Ermita de Santa Lucia church and its view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Lutsenko finished the hilly 175.7-kilometre (109.1-mile) ride from Benicassim to Alcossebre in 4 hours, 24 minutes. It was the first grand tour stage win for the 24-year-old Astana rider.

After a small group of breakaway riders trickled across, Froome stuck to the wheel of Alberto Contador as the two traded attacks along with Esteban Chaves.

Froome increased his two-second race lead over Tejay van Garderen to 10 seconds. Nicolas Roche, David de la Cruz, Fabio Aru and Vincenzo Nibali all lost even more time to the four-time Tour de France winner.

The route took riders over four category-two climbs and a category-three before a push up the final category-three ascent.

Thursday’s sixth stage is a 204.4-kilometre (127-mile) run from Vila-real to Sagunt including four category-three and one category-two climbs.

The race ends in Madrid on Sept. 10.

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