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Madrid - French rider Julien Simon, of the SAU team, won the fifth stage of Tour of Catalonia on Friday, after a sprint finish to the 207.1km run between Asco and Manresa.
Colombia's Rigoberto Uran, of Sky, and Poland's Sylvester Szmyd, of the Liquigas team, completed the top three.
Switzerland's Michael Albasini, of the GreenEdge team, who won the first two stages, kept the overall lead.
There was a six-man breakaway after two and a half hours and the 96km mark, but they were reeled in on the daunting category one climb at Montserrat.
Rigoberto Uran, who won Thursday's stage, then launched the final sprint at one kilometre out, but Simon just did enough to take the stage.
Albasini leads the overall standings by 1 min 32 sec from Belgium's Jurge Van Den Broeck (LTB), Ireland's Daniel Martin (GRM) and Spain's Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel).
Result of the fifth stage of the Tour of Catalonia on Friday, a 207.1km ride from Asco to Manresa:
1. Julien Simon (FRA/SAU) 4hr 58min 27sec, 2. Rigoberto Uran (COL/SKY) same time, 3. Sylvester Szmyd (POL/LIQ) s.t., 4. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/EUS) s.t., 5. Dario Cataldo (ITA/OPQ) s.t., 6. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) s.t., 7. Michael Albasini (SWI/GEC) s.t., 8. Denis Menchov (RUS/KAT) s.t., 9. Daniel Martin (EIR/GRM) s.t., 10. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/AST) s.t.
Overall standings:
1. Michael Albasini (SWI/GEC) 17hr 23min 51sec, 2. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) at 1min 32sec, 3. Daniel Martin (EIR/GRM) 1:32, 4. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/EUS) 1:32, 5. Rigoberto Uran (COL/SKY) 1:32, 6. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) 1:32, 7. Tom Danielson (USA/GRM) 1:32, 8. Sergio Pardilla (ESP/MOV) 1:32, 9. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/AST) 1:32, 10. Dario Cataldo (ITA/OPQ) 1:32
