Update: La Vuelta Priego de Córdoba-Ronda

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Today sees La Vuelta reach stage five with the riders having completed over 700 kilometres since Jerez de la Frontera’s time trial on Saturday.

Yesterday’s stage was won by Germany’s John Degenkolb who outsprinted Spain’s Vincente Reynes on the mostly flat 170km stage from Mairena Del Alcor to Córdoba. As temperatures soared to over 30ºC many of the sprinters simply fell away earlier in the day, leaving Degenkolb with a great chance at the sprint victory.

Today the tour goes from and finishes with a category three climb up to Ronda. With less than 60kms to go, Hollands Pim Ligthart has a lead of one minute and 30 seconds over the chasing pack. Whether he has enough strength to hold on to victory in Ronda is open to question as the pack already sense blood.

Australian rider Michael Matthews retains his overall lead as leader of the Vuelta a Espana having grabbed victory and the overall lead on Monday after winning the third stage.

Favourite Nairo Quintana is eight seconds back, while Britain’s Chris Froome trails by 35 seconds.

Tomorrow sees stage six visit the Costa de Sol, when crowds are expected to line the road from La Paloma Park, Benalmadena as the race winds its way into the mountains of Granada before finishing 176kms later at La Zubia.

Euro Weekly News plan to live tweet the start tomorrow and keep readers updated online and on Facebook as the riders face what is arguably the toughest test yet in exhausting conditions.

Degenkolb scores two wins in a row

Germany´s John Degenkolb, riding for team Giant Shimano, has claimed his second Vuelta win on the trot after pipping France´s Nacer Bouhanni to the finishing line at Ronda. The aggrieved Frenchman claimed that the German blocked him by forcing him into the fence side and denied him a second stage victory after he won the second stage Algeciras – San Fernando on Sunday.

Australian Michael Matthews Team Orica keeps the Red jersey of leader.

Degenkolb covered the 175 km stage in a time of 4h.47.47

Dutch rider Pim Ligthart who made an early break and at one point took two minutes out of the pack was caught with just 30 km to go. He was presented with the Combativity award for most aggressive rider on the race podium.

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