Privas (AFP)

Twist on the Tour de France: Julian Alaphilippe lost the yellow jersey on the green carpet, to the benefit of the Briton Adam Yates, after the arrival of the 5th stage won in the sprint, Wednesday in Privas, by the Belgian Wout Van Aert.

Alaphilippe crossed the line in the leading group and the same time as the winner.

Confused, he then learned in the area of ​​the protocol area that he was subject to a sanction in time, provided for by the regulations, for unauthorized refueling, on the side of the road, on the approach of the arrival.

Penalized by 20 seconds, the Frenchman fell in the standings (16th to 16 seconds) now commanded by Adam Yates, who had held second place until then, to 4 seconds.

Alaphilippe appeared disappointed, under the shock of surprise.

"It's an official decision of the jury, so I can't do anything about it," he told France Televisions when he was still at the foot of the podium.

"If it's like that, don't worry. Tomorrow I will get up and we won't talk about it any more," added team leader Deceuninck.

Is he still thinking of recovering the jersey he wore since the arrival of the 2nd stage on Sunday?

"We'll see," cut the French puncher short.

"I would have preferred not to take the yellow jersey that way," reacted Adam Yates, yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

The Briton had almost endorsed it during the eventful arrival at Chalet Reynard in the 2016 Tour but Chris Froome had kept it on a jury decision in his favor that day after the memorable episode of his run in the Ventoux.

- Irresistible Van Aert -

"I was already on my team's bus when I was called for the podium," said Team Briton Mitchelton who, at 28, has for best result in the Tour a 4th place in the final standings in 2016.

This unexpected turnaround stunned the Tour after a "very long and boring stage with a very nervous finish", according to Alaphilippe's justified summary.

With an outcome identical to that of the day before, namely a success for the Jumbo team.

Everything is working for the moment for the Dutch team: the day after the sprint won in the mountains by the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, Van Aert was the strongest in the technical sprint, rather complicated, disputed in the streets of Privas.

Irresistible in August, when he dominated the Strade Bianche and especially Milan-Sanremo, the former cyclo-cross world champion left no chance for the Dutchman Cees Bol, however led by his team.

Irishman Sam Bennett, who took on the green jersey in the points classification, took third place, ahead of Slovakian Peter Sagan, after 183 kilometers.

"Now I have my stage victory," smiled Van Aert, who had already won a stage last year in Albi on his debut in the Tour.

"I will work all the harder for my leaders."

"It may be the easiest stage since I became pro, there was no breakaway. I knew this stage could be suitable for me. I'm happy to have had this opportunity", added the Belgian, with an impressive finish.

- A long truce -

The peloton rode for a long time after a hectic start to the Tour and a first foray into the Alps.

From Gap to Privas, the Tour riders observed a truce, without any escape, over some 160 kilometers, a phenomenon rarely observed in recent years.

To find traces of a stage without the slightest escape, apart from the parade on the last day on the Champs-Elysés, one must go back, according to the statisticians of the Tour, to ... the last century, during the strike of the riders of the Tour 1998 on the road to Aix-les-Bains.

This time, the race was lively after crossing the Rhône, approaching a sector facing the side wind.

But a new change of course, headwind, slowed the pace and allowed the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, a time behind a puncture, to return.

A brutal acceleration by the Ineos team of outgoing winner Egan Bernal 8 kilometers from the finish, which served as a warning for the poorly placed Thibaut Pinot, set the tone for an intense final.

Thursday, the 6th stage, 191 kilometers long, ends with the unprecedented Col de la Lusette classified in the first category and extended by a gentle climb towards Aigoual at an altitude of 1560 meters.

© 2020 AFP