VAUJANY, France -- Two-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome seized the overall lead at the Criterium du Dauphine after winning the fifth stage on Friday.
Froome attacked with about 2 1/2 kilometers left, and his former teammate Richie Porte was the only one able to follow the pace on the final climb.
Overnight leader Alberto Contador crossed in fifth, and dropped to third overall, 27 seconds back. Porte sat in second place, seven seconds behind Froome.
The Dauphine Libere is a traditional warmup for the Tour, which starts on July 2 at Mont-Saint-Michel.
“I didn’t expect to gain time on Alberto Contador on such a short climb,” Froome said. “There’s still a hard stage to come tomorrow, so I haven’t won the Dauphine yet.”
