Tour de France 2014: stage 5 – in pictures

As the peloton rolled out of Ypres, fans were already claiming their places by the roadside to watch what was always going to be one of the biggest spectacles of the Tour Photograph: Michel Spingler/AP

Fans make use of a local farmer's trailer to shelter from the deluge Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP

The peloton rolls out of Ypres under ominous grey skies and heavy rainfall Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images

Race leader Vincenzo Nibali rides past fans on the way to the start line. Nibali had earmarked this stage since it was announced as a place to gain time on his rivals Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images

Chris Froome, as we know, did not last long. His wrist already in a splint from a crash the day before, he met with the tarmac twice more, before the race had even entered the first cobbled sector Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP

Grimacing in pain, he enters the team car and leaves the race. A terrible moment for a bike rider whose whole season had been geared up for July Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP

Alberto Contador suffers through the wet conditions – treacherous enough without the cobbles Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

Andrew Talansky leads the peloton through an early sector of cobblestones – the faces and the jerseys of the riders still clean Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

It didn't take long for the cobbles to take their toll, however. Contador is distanced by the main group after a mechanical means he can't match their acceleration Photograph: Nicolas Bouvy/EPA

Despite never racing Paris-Roubaix, Nibali is undoubtedly one of the best bike handlers in the peloton. This showed through on his debut on the cobblestones – here he leads three-time Roubaix winner Fabian Cancellara Photograph: Nicoulas Bouvy/EPA

Everyone was looking to classics specialists Cancellara and Sagan to pull the group back to the leaders, but, unwilling to do the work then be outsprinted, the pair sat back Photograph: Bernard Papon/AFP/Getty Images

Seeing an opportunity to gain time on Contador, Geraint Thomas, who won Paris-Roubaix as a junior, piloted Sky's Plan B Richie Porte up to the Talansky group to gain 35 seconds on the Spaniard Photograph: Eric Fefferberg/AFP/Getty Images

After moving off the front of the bunch with teammates Jakob Fuglsang and Lieuwe Westra, Nibali couldn't, or didn't react to Lars Boom's acceleration Photograph: PhotoSport Int/REX/PhotoSport Int/REX

A former cyclocross world champion who excels in slippery conditions, Boom rode his heart out Photograph: Bernard Papon/Pool/EPA

Alberto Contador cross the line, caked in the mud of Northern France, with a 2min 37sec defecit to overturn on Nibali if the yellow jersey is to be wrested away Photograph: Peter Dejong/AP

Boom holds his hands in the air and roars in victory as he crosses the line 19 seconds before Nibali and Fuglsang Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images