The provisional top five are: 1. Wust; 2. Zabel; 3. Zanini; 4. Steels; 5. Commesso.

16.10 Third And Fourth

Third was Zanini (Mapei) and fourth goes to Steels.

16.09 A Win For Wust

Marcel Wust has won the stage ahead of Zabel. Wust has won a stage in the spotted jersey!

16.08 Bunch Sprint

Voigt and Dekker caught.

16.08 1km To Go

The two leaders, Voigt & Dekker, are now in the final kilometer. They are about to be soaked up by the chasing peloton...

16.07 Telekom Train In Full Flight

The Telekom team is now dominating the chase. The two leaders are within the sights of the peloton.

16.07 Mapei

Hoping to give Tom Steels another win, the Mapei colors are now at the front of the chase. There is just 2km to race today. The pink of Telekom also at the front of the chasing peloton.

16.06 On The Streets of Vitre

Voigt is giving it his all to try and hang on to his advantage. He and Dekker have 17" on the peloton with 3km to go.

16.05 27" lead

The 2 leaders are working well together, but so too is the arrowhead of the peloton. The 2 up front have a lead of just 27" now.

16.04 Last Drinks For Leaders

Giving it their all, Voigt and Dekker have taken their final drink, and rid themselves of their bidons and are now in the final 4km of today's stage. Their lead is now 26".

16.03 35" Lead For Voigt & Dekker

In the closing kilometers of the 202km stage the two leaders have a slender lead of just 35".

16.02 6km To Go

The two leaders are now in the final 6km. Their lead is 40".

16.01 42" Lead Now

Voigt and Dekker now have a lead of 42".

16.01 AG2R Also Join Chase

Now all the sprinters' teams are beginning to appear at the front of the chase. AG2R is also present in the hope of bringing the two leaders back to create a sprint for their quick, Jaan Kirsipuu.

16.00 10km To Go For Peloton

The Bonjour team of Francois Simon are now also up the front of the chasing peloton.

15.59 10km To Go For Peloton

Festina continue to dominate the front of the chase. The Rabo colors are gone, and now just blue & yellow of Wust's team lead the chasing peloton.

15.55 Two Up Front

Voigt and Dekker are now giving it all at the front of the race. Their fellow day-long escapees - Demarbaix, Mateos and Moerenhout - have all been absorbed by the chasing peloton. The two leaders now have a lead of 1'15".

15.53 12km To Go

Voigt & Dekker have another 12km to race to the finish in Vitre. Their lead is 1'10".

15.52 Festina Dominate Chase

The Festina team of Marcel Wust are now all at the front of the chasing peloton. At the back of the blue & yellow train are the colors of Mapei and Rabobank.

15.51 1'15" For Voigt & Dekker

Voigt and Dekker are swapping off at the front of the race. The latest time check has them 1'15" ahead of the peloton.

15.48 Polti Also Up Front Of Chasing Peloton

Joining Festina at the head of the peloton is the Polti team who are working hard for their sprinter Jeroen Blijlevens.

15.47 Voigt Loses His Virtual Lead

Voigt Loses His Virtual Lead The latest time check has Voigt and Dekker up front by 1'35". Voigt began the day 1'36" behind Jalabert.

15.46 20km To Go

The situation with 20km to go is this: Voigt & Dekker lead Demarbaix by about 120 meters. The peloton is 1'55" behind the race leaders. In the betwen of Demarbaix and the peloton is Mateos and Moerenhout.

15.45 Lead Now Just 1'55"

The chase of Festina has made an immediate impact. The lead of Voigt is now 1'55". He is joined up the front by Erik Dekker.

15.44 Voigt Attacks

The man with the most to gain from the break today, Jens Voigt, has attacked his fellow escpapees. He began the day in 15th overall 1'36" off the overall lead.

15.41 Festina Take Over The Chase

With their sprinter, Marcel Wust, about to lose his tender (some might say comical) grip on the King of the Mountains jersey, the Festina team have taken over the chasing duties at the head of the peloton.

15.40 25km To Go

The leading five have just passed under the 25km to go kite. They continue to share the workload, as the Festina team come to the front of the chasing peloton.

15.39 Lead Under Three Minutes

The latest time check has the three leader 2'43" ahead of the ONCE-led peloton.

15.36 Lead Now Three Minutes

The peloton has passed the site of the sprint in Liffre. They were 3 minutes behind the leading five riders.

15.34 3rd Intermediate Sprint Points

The intermediate sprint in Liffre (172km) has just been contested. The results are: 1. Jens Voigt (CA) 2. Sebastien Demarbaix (Lotto) 3. Koos Moerenhout (Rabobank)

15.33 Mateos Not Quite At His Limit

Rafael Mateos is showing a heart-rate of 161bpm. The Polti rider who is part of the five-man break has been at the back of the leading group for about 10km now. Could he be preparing for a surge as they get closer to Vitre? They are currently about 29km from the finish...

15.30 3'07" For Five Leaders Now

The latest time check has the five leaders 3'07" ahead of the peloton which is still being led by the ONCE team.

15.29 Five Leaders Continue To Hold Their Advantage

The five riders who broke clear of the field around the 50km mark of today's stage are holding onto their advantage. The latest check, with 32km to race, is 3'30".

15.26 Huge Crowds Today In Cycling-Mad Brittany

As the race winds its way through the Bretagne countryside, the crowds at the side of the road have been consistently impressive. Rarely has there been a section of the road void of fans in the 168km already raced today.

15.23 Lead Now 3'20"

The five escapees now have an advantage of 3'20". ONCE continue to lead the chase with 40km still to race.

15.22 Demarbaix's Famed Uncle...

Sebastien Demarbaix - who is one of the five riders at the front of the race - is the nephew of 1984 world champion, Claudy Criquielion.

15.16 ONCE Chase Taking Effect Again

After letting the leaders' advantage grow to 3'45", the ONCE team have put in some strong turns at the front of the chase. Their current deficit to the five at the front of the race is 3'35".

15.13 Leaders' Advantage Grows Again

The five leaders have pushed their advantage up to 3'44" with 45km to race. This is the biggest advantage of the day for Voigt and his companions.

15.11 ONCE Continue To Lead Chase

Depsite an earlier statement by ONCE's director, Manolo Saiz, that his team would lead the peloton until the 50km to go point (at which stage he said he would allow the sprinters' teams to take over the chase), the ONCE team continue to lead the pursuit of the 5 leaders with 46km to race.

15.07 New Climbing King Today

After his victory at the 3rd category climb at the start of today's stage, Paolo Bettini will inherit the polka-dot jersey of King of the Mountains from the current leader, Marcel Wust (Festina), at the end of today's stage.

15.04 The Leaders' Advantage

After the final climb of the day, the lead of the five escapees is 3'30".

15.03 Results of 4th Climb

The results of the 4th climb today, up the Cote du Chat (144.5km) are: 1. Sebastien Demarbaix (Lotto) 2. Erik Dekker (Rabobank) 3. Jens Voigt (CA)

14.54 60km To Go

The five leaders have 60km to race today. The latest time check has Voigt, Demarbaix, Dekker, Moerenhout and Matteos 3'27" in front of the ONCE-led peloton.

14.53 Nicolas Jalabert Driving The Peloton

The brother of the race leader, Nicolas Jalabert, is doing the lion's share of the chasing work at the front of the chasing peloton. The entire ONCE team is at he front of the bunch, but Nicolas can be seen on the front more often than any other team-mate of Laurent Jalabert.

14.51 Pantani & Virenque Back With Peloton

After Virenque's puncture and Pantani's toilet stop, the team leaders - for Polti and Mercatone Uno respectively - are now back with the peloton.

14.49 Pink Gathering At The Back of Peloton

A toilet stop for Marco Pantani has caused a pink Mercatone Uno train to form at the back of the peloton. The entire Mercatone Uno team has returned to nurse their leader back to the peloton.

14.46 Virenque Punctures

The winner of last year's King of the Mountains, Richard Virenque, has punctured. He is now being nursed back to the peloton by two of his Polti team-mates.

14.42 Armstrong At The Back of ONCE Train

As the ONCE team continue to lead the chasing peloton, Lance Armstrong has moved up to sit at the back of the squad of the current yellow jersey, Jalabert. The latest time check has the peloton 3'25" behind the five leaders.

14.38 Leaders' Advantage Shrinking

After reaching a maximum advantage of 3'40", the five escapees are now 3'30" in front of the ONCE-led peloton.

14.35 Some Facts About Today's Roads

The fifth stage covers 202km in three departments of France - Morbihan, Cotes d'Armor & Ille-et-Vilaine. In these kilometers there are 196km of departmental roads, 6km of city roads, 10 round-abouts, and two rail-road crossings.

14.29 Peloton Over 3rd Climb

As the peloton passed the Cote de Calorguen, the five riders' advantage was 3'35".

14.25 Results of Cote de Calorguen Climb

The results of the category-4 climb at the 119km mark are: 1. Sebastien Demarbaix (Lotto) 2. Jens Voigt (CA) 3. Erik Dekker (Rabobank)

14.23 Five Riders On Third Climb of Day

The five leaders are currently on the third climb of the day, the Cote de Colorguen (119km).

14.17 3'38" Advantage For Five Leaders

The lead of the five riders up front is now 3'38".

14.17 Saiz Says They'll Chase Until 50km To Go

Manolo Saiz, the director of Jalabert's ONCE team, says his team will continue to lead the peloton's chase of the five escapees until the 50km to go mark.

14.16 Moerenhout One of the First Race Winners In 2000

Koos Moerenhout, who is currently in the five-rider break, was one of the first winners of a stage in the 2000 season. The Farm Frites rider won the first stage of Tour Down Under in Australia on the 18th of January.

14.09 Peloton In Feedzone

The ONCE team - which currently boasts two of the Tour's prize jerseys, the yellow of race lead and white of best young rider - has just led the peloton through the feedzone at the 104.5km point of today's fifth stage.

14.06 Voigt Leads Most Aggressive Classification

One of the riders in the break today, Jens Voigt, already has the lead in the classification for the most aggressive rider thanks to his efforts in a 125km break during stage three. The German rider is currently the virtual race leader after starting the day 1'36" behind Jalabert.

14.03 Jiminez Returns To Peloton After A Puncture

There have been quite a few punctures for riders in the peloton today. The latest victim, Jose Maria Jiminez, has just been nursed back to the peloton by three of his Banesto team-mates.

14.01 100km To Go

The five leaders have passed the 102km mark. Their lead is 3'28" with 100km still to race to the finish in Vitre.

13.58 Lead Over 3 Minutes Now

The latest time check has the five riders 3'25" in front of the peloton. The ONCE team has been leading the peloton since the five escapees reached a one minute advantage at the 67km mark.

13.53 The Average For The Second Hour

The average speed for the second hour of racing today was 46.4kph. The total average for the first two hours of stage five is 46.85kph.

13.49 Lead Still Growing

The five leaders continue to push their advantage on the peloton. At the 90km mark their lead is 2'50". The riders involved are: Voigt (CA), Demarbaix (Lotto), Moerenhout (Farm Frites), Matteos (Polti) and Dekker (Rabobank).

13.43 2'45" At The 85km Mark

As the peloton passed the site of the second sprint, the time gap to the leaders was 2'45".

13.42 Results of 2nd Intermediate Sprint

The second sprint of the day has been contested by the five leaders. The results of the Ereac sprint (85km) are: 1. Koos Moerenhout (Farm Frites) 2. Jens Voigt (CA)3. Sebastien Demarbaix

(Lotto). 13.34 Lead Continues To Grow

At the 80km mark, the five riders at the front of the race have an advantage of 2'30" on the ONCE-led peloton.

13.29 Next Sprint Due In 10km

The second intermediate sprint of the day is at Ereac (85km). The five riders have just passed the 75km mark with a lead of 2'20".

13.29 2'20" At 75km

The five escapees have a lead of 2'20" at the 75km mark.

13.28 Matteos 'Lanterne Rouge'

One of the riders in today's break, Rafael Matteos (Polti), began the day in 177th place. The Spaniard therefore held the 'honor' of being the Tour's 'Lanterne Rouge' at the start of stage five, 23'59" behind Jalabert's leading time.

13.24 Voigt Virtual Leader... Again

After his efforts in the 125km break of stage three, Jens Voigt has again put himself into the virtual lead of the Tour de France. The German began the stage in 15th place 1'36" off the lead of Jalabert. He and his four escape companions currently have a lead of 2'05".

13.22 Lead Over Two Minutes

The five riders have a lead on the ONCE-led peloton of 2'05" at the 70km mark.

13.19 1'40" At 67km

The lead of the five escapees - Voigt, Moerenhout, Demarbaix, Matteos and Dekker - is now 1'40".

13.16 1'30" For Five Leaders

At the 65th kilometer, the five leaders have a lead of 1'30" on the ONCE-led peloton.

13.12 Voigt Best-Placed Of Break

Of the five riders at the front of the race, the best-placed rider at the start of the day is Jens Voigt (CA). He began the day in 15th place, 1'36" off the overall lead of Jalabert.

13.10 ONCE Lead The Chase

With the five riders now 1'05" ahead of the peloton, the ONCE team of the yellow jerey, Jalabert, lead the chase.

13.08 1'00" Lead For Five Riders

The five escapees have a lead of 1'00" at the 59km mark. They are: Voigt, Demarbaix, Matteos, Dekker and Moerenhout.

13.06 Five Riders Now Lead The Stage By 50"

There are now five riders at the front of the race. They are Voigt (CA), Demarbaix (Lotto), Matteos (Polti), Moerenhout (Farm Frites) and Dekker (Rabobank). They have a lead of 50".

13.03 Two Riders Counter Attack

Voigt and Demarbaix lead by 35". They are being pursued by two other riders. The chasing riders are Koos Moerenhout (Farm Frites) and Rafael Matteos (Polti). The latter two are 12" ahead of the peloton.

12.59 Voigt & Demarbaix's Lead

The two riders at the front of the race - Voigt & Demarbaix - have a lead of 25".

12.59 Results Of Mohon Sprint

The first sprint of the day has been contested. The results at the Mohon sprint (52.5km) are: 1. Jens Voigt (CA) 2. Sebastien Demarbaix (Lotto) 3. Erik Zabel (Telekom)The two escapees had a lead of 15".

12.56 Two Riders Clear

There has been an attack (at 51km) from Sebastian Demarbaix (Lotto) and Jens Voigt (CA).

12.55 Third Finish For Tour in Vitre

There have been two previous stage finishes in Vitre. They were in 1985 and 1995. The most recent winner (in '95) was Mario Cipollini.

12.52 First Hour Average

The average speed for the first hour of 47.3kph is a good indication of just how intensly the fifth stage is being raced.

12.50 All Together Again

The escaped riders have now been caught. The peloton is all together again.

12.47 Three Riders Return To Peloton

Three of the six have returned to the peloton. The three riders now at the front of the race are: Stuart O'Grady, Leon van Bon and Vincente Garcia-Acosta.

12.46 Six Riders Now Clear

There is a small break of six riders. Included in the break is second overall in the green jersey competition, Stuart O'Grady (CA) as well as Leon van Bon (Rabobank). The other names will follow shortly.

12.39 Durand Caught

At the 38th kilometer, Durand's escape is over. The peloton is now all together.

12.34 Durand Attacks... Again

13H38 - Durand Still Clear A brief escape attempt by Francisco Mancebo (Banesto) and Jean-Cyril Robin (Bonjour) amounted to nothing. Lotto's Jacky Durand is alone at the front of the race.

12.35 Results of Second Climb

The results of the cat-4 Cote de Coet-Bugat are: 1. Jacky Durand (Lotto) 2. Paolo Bettini (Mapei) 3. Markus Zberg (Rabobank)

12.34 Durand Attacks... Again

Perpetual flat-stage attacker, Jacky Durand (Lotto) has again escaped the peloton. His lead is now 8".

12.30 Peloton All Together Again

The ONCE chase has reeled in the 10 escapees at the 30km mark. The peloton is all together again.

12.29 10 Riders Clear

After the climb at 23km 10 riders broke free. There has been no confirmation of the riders involved. The ONCE team of race-leader Jalabert is chasing.

12.28 Wust Out Of Polka-Dote Jersey At The Moment

Marcel Wust, who surged up the small rise in the stage one time trial to grab the polka-dot jersey, has now lost that jersey. The winner of the cat-3 climb today, Paolo Bettini has now earned more points than Wust did on the cat-4 stage one climb.

12.26 The Other Climbs Today

The other low-ranked rises today are Cote de Coet-Bugat (cat-4, 34.5km), the Cote de Caloruen (cat-4, 119km) and the Cote du Chat (cat-4, 144.5km).

12.25 Jalabert Sixth At Climb

The Tour leader, Laurent Jalabert, was the sixth rider across the line at the first climb, the Cote de Cadoudal (23km).

12.24 Results Of First Climb

The first road stage climb of the 2000 Tour de France has been contested. The results at the Cote de Cadoudal (23km) are: 1. Bettini (Mapei); 2. Zberg (Rabobank); 3. Virenque (Polti); 4. Simon (Bonjour); 5. Vinokourov (Telekom).

12.16 Peloton All Together

Agnolutto's attempt amounted to nothing. At the 19th kilometer he has been caught by the peloton.

12.16 Four Small Climbs Today

The lead of Marcel Wust in the overall climbing category is likely to end today. There are four small climbs today with the first one due soon. The 3rd-category Cote de Cadoudal comes after 23km of racing.

12.13 Agnolutto Now Attacking

AG2R's Christophe Agnolutto is the latest rider to attempt a break. The Frenchman is 100m clear of the bunch at the 17km mark.

12.11 Dekker Caught

Erik Dekker has been caught by the peloton at the 16km mark.

12.10 Banesto Lead Pursuit Of Dekker

Dekker's lead is just 10". The Banesto team of Alex Zulle is leading the chase of the Rabobank rider. The race is at the 15km mark.

12.06 Dekker Now 25" Clear

Dekker's lead is now 25". The peloton is being led by the French Bonjour and Francaise des Jeux teams. The race is at the 12th kilometer.

12.04 15" For Dekker

Dekker has continued with his effort. The silver medallist from the Barcelona Olympic road race is now 15" ahead of the peloton.

12.02 Dekker's Lead 7"

At the 8km mark, Dekker's lead is just 7 seconds.

12.01 Dekker Tries Again

Erik Dekker (Rabobank), who was involved in a long break in stage two, has attacked the peloton. There is no time check on the Dutch rider at this stage.

11.59 Break Over

At the 6th kilometer the escape attempt by Raedelli and Cassini has been foiled by a fast-moving peloton. The peloton is now all back together.

11.58 10" Lead At 5km

10" Lead At 5km The break of Raedelli and Cassani has an advantage over the peloton of 10" at the 5km mark.

11.57 First Attack

Bettini's Break Over Mapei's Bettini is already back in the peloton. The two escapees are now 12" clear.

11.56 Bettini Now Chasing

With the two early escapees now at 20", there is a counter-attack from Paolo Bettini.

11.56 First Attack

The first attack of the day has come at the 3rd kilometer. There are two riders clear with an advantage of 12 seconds. They are Enrico Cassani (Polti) and Mauro Radaelli (Vini Caldirola).

11.51 Racing!

The fifth stage has officially begun. The start-proper of the 202km journey from Vannes to Vitre began at 11.48pm. There are 177 riders still in the Tour de France.

11.49 Race Goes Through 'Hinault Country' Today

The 202km fifth stage will be raced on the roads of Brittany. This cycling-mad region of France boasts the birth place of five-time Tour winner, Bernard Hinault. The third climb today - the Cote de Calorguen (at 119km) - is right near the town in which Hinault now lives.

11.44 Riders Are In The Neutral Zone

The 5th stage is due to begin any minute now. The riders are currently in the neutral zone.

11.41 4.2km Neutral Zone

There is a 4.2km neutral zone before the start proper on the outskirts of the town of Vannes.

11.27 ONCE Dominate Overall Classification

With 8 of the nine riders, ONCE are in the top 11 of the overall rankings. Their effort in yesterday's team test has paid off. The other ONCE rider, David Extebarria - the winner of two stages last year - is in 41st place. His deficit of 3'33" is mainly due to a fall in the first stage.

11.22 Jalabert Brothers In Top 6

The Jalabert brothers, Laurent and Nicolas, are first and sixth overall at the start today. Laurent, is in the yellow jersey of race leader, while Nicolas, who is four and half years younger, holds sixth place 49" off the overall lead.

11.15 Stage Five Due To Start At 11.40am

The 202km fifth stage of the 2000 Tour de France - from Vannes to Vitre - is scheduled to start at 11.40am. The race leader after yesterday's team time trial stage is Laurent Jalabert of the ONCE-Deutsche Bank team. He leads his team-mate, David Canada by 12" and Lance Armstrong by 24".