France’s Pinot wins Tour of the Alps

MILAN: French climb specialist Thibaut Pinot won cycling’s Tour of the Alps on Friday with Ukraine’s Mark Padun claiming victory in the fifth and final stage.

British four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome finished fourth overall as the Sky leader fine tunes his form for the Giro d’Italia.FDJ rider Pinot becomes the second French winner after Luc Leblanc in 1997. Italy’s Domenico Pozzovivo finished overall second with Colombian Miguel Angle Lopez third, both at 0.15sec.

The race concluded after a 164km run from Rattenberg to Innsbruck, featuring a series of climbs, one of which peaked 12km from home before a 6km descent and a 6km dash for victory.

Padun made a late solo break to cross the line alone, 0.05sec ahead of New Zealander George Bennett with Czech Jan Hirt at 0.06.It was the 21-year-old Bahrain-Merida rider’s first professional victory.Froome — competing despite his case pending with the International Cycling Union’s anti-doping unit — finished the stage in eighth position.