Team Sky's Richie Porte won the fifth stage of the Paris Nice race
A 176 km stage from Châteauneuf-du-Pape to La Montagne de Lure saw Cyril Lemoine (Sojasun), Thierry Hupond (Team Argos-Shimano), Paolo Longo Borghini (Cannondale) and Jens Voigt (RadioShack Leopard) the days main escapers.
Simon Gerrans, Gianni Meersman and Jonathan Tiernan-Locke all abandoned as Lemoine and Hupond took the early mountains points.
A lead of around six minutes was reduced to just over two minutes with twenty kilometres to go.
On the final climb of the day with ten kilometres to go, Team Sky were on the front of the front group includng race leader Andrew Talansky and the gap was down to a minute.
Jens Voigt was caught with 7.3kms to go and with five left, Cofidis's Daniel Nevarro attacked on the mountain road which had seen an Alberto Contador victory in 2009.
Michele Scaponi, eighteen seconds down, was the next to attack on the steep twisting roads whilst riders continued to be dropped by the group.
Talansky, Richie Porte and Nicholas Roche all then attacked but every move was shut down.
Katusha's Denis Menchov was ahead. Richie Porte came up to him with 1.2kms to go, as Talansky was forced to work at at the front of the front group.
Porte was not to be beaten and he won in a time of 4.50.54 with Menchov second and Talansky who was 33 seconds back.
Porte now takes over as race leader with a 32 second lead of Talanksy who looked grief stricken as he rode over the finish line.