TOUR DE FRANCE : Nelissen Moves Past Cipollini to Take Back Yellow Jersey

Belgium’s Wilfried Nelissen used a runner-up finish in Thursday’s fifth stage to regain the overall lead from Mario Cipollini of Italy in the Tour de France.

Nelissen gained a two-second advantage by placing second to Jesper Skibby of Denmark and earning 12 bonus seconds.

Along the route, Nelissen gained six more bonus seconds by finishing third and second in two of the three intermediate sprints. Cipollini gained 10 seconds with a first and a second.

Skibby won the 140-mile fifth stage from Avranches to Evreux with a strong effort over the final mile. Nelissen was about a second behind.

Skibby fell hard in a race in Italy in March, breaking a bone above an eye, and was hospitalized for four weeks.

“I have come back a long way,” he said. “Over the last few kilometers of the race I was thinking of my father. After my accident he did everything to let me return to my best level. He got on a motorcycle for me to follow in all my training.”

Nelissen trailed Cipollini by six seconds after Wednesday’s fifth stage after having led for two days earlier in the week.

“For now the start for the race is made for the sprinters,” Nelissen said. “Tomorrow I start again in yellow (the leader’s yellow jersey).”

Although sprinters have dominated the Tour so far, they are expected to fade when the Tour reaches the mountains.

Nelissen has been in the top three in all four of the individual stages so far. He was second in the opening stage, then won Monday’s second stage before two runner-up finishes.

Cipollini has a victory and two thirds.