Bauer's firepower enough to take stage

Bath - New Zealand rider Jack Bauer pushed on from a breakaway to win Thursday's 194.5km fifth stage of the Tour of Britain.

The 31-year-old Cannondale cyclist -- fifth in the 2013 edition of the Tour of Britain -- was part of a quintet who led the peloton a merry dance for 169km in the stage that started in Aberdare, Wales.

However, he still had enough in his legs to outsprint France's Amael Moinard and Erick Rowsell of Great Britain -- two of the quintet having fallen away during the stage -- with the fast closing peloton led home by Caleb Ewan.

Bauer famously collapsed in tears during the 2014 Tour de France on stage 15 where he was caught and beaten by Alexander Kristoff just 50m from the line after a 222km breakaway.

Belgium's Julien Vermote, winner of Monday's second stage, maintained his six-second advantage in the overall standings ahead of Briton Stephen Cummings.

Friday's stage could shake up the overall standings, though, as it finishes with a climb to Haytor on Dartmoor.

Tour of Britain results after Thursday's fifth stage, a 194.5 kilometres ride from Abderdare, Wales, to Bath:

Stage

1. Jack Bauer (NZl) Cannondale-Drapac 4hr 45min 25sec, 2. Amal Moinard (FRA) BMC Racing Team same time, 3. Erick Rowsell (GBR) Madison Genesis, 4. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Orica-BikeExchange, 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Team LottoNl-Jumbo, 6. Boy Van Poppel (NED) Trek-Segafredo, 7. Jens Debusschere (BEL) Lotto Soudal, 8. Daniel McLay (GBR) Fortuneo - Vital Concept, 9. Nicola Ruffoni (ITA) Bardiani CSF, 10 Domingos Goncalves (POR) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA all same time

Overall

1. Julien Vermote (BEL) Etixx - Quick-Step 23hr 07min 29sec, 2. Stephen Cummings (GBR) Dimension Data at 6sec, 3. Ben Swift (GBR) Team Sky 1min 03sec, 4. Tony Gallopin (FRA) Lotto Soudal same time, 5. Daniel Martin (IRL) Etixx - Quick-Step 1:04, 6. Xandro Meurisse (BEL) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 1:08, 7. Dylan Van Baarle (NED) Cannondale-Drapac 1:12, 8. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Team Giant-Alpecin s.t., 9. Jacopo Mosca (ITA) Trek-Segafredo 1:16, 10. Nicolas Roche (IRL) Team Sky s.t.