Team Sky helped to animate stage five, which world champion Peter Sagan eventually won to claim his second victory of this year’s race, showing plenty of attacking intent from the off.

Gianni Moscon was in the day’s first break – a move which also featured British duo Steve Cummings and Scott Thwaites (both Dimension Data) – and when that was brought back Mikel Landa tried his luck in the next move.

By that point Yates had already been forced out of the race, climbing into the Orica-Scott team car with more than 70km still to race.

That move was reeled in, but when Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) led the sprint to the line out, Sagan attacked with perfect timing to claim the stage win – his second in three days.

Thomas claimed fourth on the day to further bolster his overall standing – the 1’23” he trails Quintana by overall almost exactly the time Team Sky lost when they suffered three wheel failures in the stage one team time trial.

It is the Colombian in pole position to claim his second overall title at the Race of the Two Seas, however – Yates’ withdrawal meaning Quintana now leads by 50 seconds overall from second-placed Pinot.

Tirreno-Adriatico 2017: stage five – result

1) Peter Sagan (SVK) – Bora-hansgrohe – 5.00.05hrs
2) Thibaut Pinot (FRA) – FDJ – ST
3) Primoz Roglic (SVN) – LottoNL-Jumbo
4) Geraint Thomas (GBR) – Team Sky
5) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Trek-Segafredo
6) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Cannondale-Drapac
7) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Team Sunweb
8) Nairo Quintana (COL) – Movistar
9) Rohan Dennis (AUS) – BMC Racing
10) Simon Spilak (SVN) – Katusha-Alpecin +6”

General classification

1) Nairo Quintana (COL) – Movistar – 21.34.51hrs
2) Thibaut Pinot (FRA) – FDJ +50”
3) Rohan Dennis (AUS) – BMC Racing +1.06
4) Primoz Roglic (SVN) – LottoNL-Jumbo +1.15
5) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Team Sunweb +1.19
6) Geraint Thomas (GBR) – Team Sky +1.23
7) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Cannondale-Drapac +1.30
8) Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP) – Movistar +1.32
9) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Trek-Segafredo +1.37
10) Simon Spilak (SVN) – Katusha-Alpecin +1.59