German sprint kings reign in Tour de France
With the fifth stage paying homage to war dead, Andre Greipel and Tony Martin hold sway in cycling classic
On a day in which soldiers who died in the first world war were honoured and remembered, Andre Greipel emphasised German sprint domination at the Tour de France on Wednesday.
With Tony Martin keeping hold of the race leader's yellow jersey and Greipel in charge of the green points jersey, not to mention Germans winning three of the five stages so far, France's eastern neighbour is in charge of the 2015 Grand Boucle.
Greipel, 32, overhauled Mark Cavendish and Alexander Kristoff while holding off the fast finishing Peter Sagan to win the 189.5km fifth stage from Arras to Amiens.
The Lotto-Soudal rider picked the right wheel and darted out from behind Cavendish, who finished third, to power to the line, just reaching it before the Sagan express scorched past in second.
Having also won Sunday's second stage, Greipel proved he is the fastest man in the peloton, just as compatriot Marcel Kittel had done the previous two years, winning four stages in each.
