Cyril Dessel, of the AG2R-La Mondiale team, won the 179.4km fifth stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk between Calais and Cap Blanc-Nez.

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• General classification

Cofidis rider Stephane Auge of France, who won Tuesday's first stage, retained the leader's pink jersey and looks set fair to win the race following Sunday's sixth and final stage, a 128.4km stretch around Dunkirk.

Frenchman Dessel clocked 4hr 23minutes 48 seconds to finish ahead of Gerald Ciolek of Germany and France's Samuel Dumoulin during this relatively short but tense stage.

France's Clement Lhotellerie had a poor day, however, after falling off the pace in the penultimate ascent of Cap Blanc-Nez to lose his best climber's jersey to Italy's Leonardo Scarselli.

By the fifth lap, 11 riders had broken away but Bouygues Telecom led the chase and by the seventh circuit the peloton had regrouped. Though several attacks were then attempted all came to nothing.