Sunday 21 February 2016 18:31, UK
Geraint Thomas sealed overall victory at the Volta ao Algarve for the second year in succession on Sunday after previous leader Tony Martin's challenge collapsed on a final stage won by Alberto Contador.
Martin (Etixx - Quick-Step) and Thomas (Team Sky) were separated by just three seconds in first and second place in the general classification at the start of the day, but the German was dropped on the stage's penultimate climb and finished more than 18 minutes down.
That meant Thomas had to defend what was now a virtual lead on the 2.9km climb to the summit finish on Alto do Malhao, and he did so by crossing the line 28 seconds behind Contador (Tinkoff) in fifth place.
Contador beat runner-up Fabio Aru (Astana) and third-placed Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) by 20 seconds to seal his first win of the season and jumped to third overall, 26 seconds back, while Ion Izagirre finished the race in second place, 19 seconds behind Thomas.
Thomas told teamsky.com: "Once Tony Martin got dropped first time up the climb, the stage was all about defending that lead. Izagirre was the biggest threat after that and I just didn't get carried away when Contador and Rigo [Uran] attacked.
"I just followed Izagirre all the way until well into the last kilometre. I had a little dig myself but I kind of knew I had it by then. The worst thing that could happen was to follow Contador, blow up and then maybe lose the race overall. It was just about playing it safe and finishing the job off.
"It's always nice to be on the podium and get a win. I don't get to do it very often, so I certainly enjoy that."
Of his demise, Martin said: "The stage was hard and I tried to do my best to defend the lead, but I lost contact on the first ascent of Malhao and it was all over there."
Thomas will now take a short break from racing before returning for Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, the Volta a Catalunya, the Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Tour de Romandie in a busy eight-week spell in March and April.
He added: "It's definitely a good confidence booster now going into the last big block of training. I've got a big block of racing then with three big stage races and then three big one-days as well. Hopefully I can take something out of all that."
Stage five result
1 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, 4:24:47
2 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana, +20sec
3 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr, same time
4 Manuel Amaro (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +21
5 Geraint Thomas (GB) Team Sky, +28
General classification
1 Geraint Thomas (GB) Team Sky
2 Ion Izagirre (Esp) Movistar, +19sec
3 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, +26
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr, +32
5 Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo, +49
