Team Sky's Ben Swift won the fifth stage of the 54th Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco (Basque Tour).
The penultimate stage was a 160.2km stage from Eibar to Xemein and saw Alberto Contador of Tinkoff Saxo trying to defend his lead on a stage which featured five climbs.
Team Sky's Josh Edmondson got himself into an early break with Intxausti, Jon Izaguirre, Costa ,Albasini, Moinard, Fernandez, Brutt, Gautier, Wellens, Serry, Txurruka and Piedra but after twenty kilometres they were brought back and Bob Jungels of Trek Factory Racing took over the front running duties.
There was a number of attacks from the peloton and Jungels was caught with forty kilometres of racing gone.
The Luxembourg champion tried to attack again but this time he had plenty of company in Plaza, Oliveira, Albasini, Zandio, K Fernandez, Iglinskiy, Mollema, Sicard, Malacarne, Wellens, Serry, Olivier, Barguil, Fraile and Luis Leon Sanchez.
A lead of a minute was not to last and Philippe Gilbert of BMC was one who joined to form a group comprising of Plaza, Oliveira, Albasini, Zandio of Team Sky, Jungels, K Fernandez, Gilbert, Mollema, Wellens, Serry, Olivier, Barguil, Iglinskiy, Malacarne, Fraile and Sanchez, out front with 75kms to go.
After a sprint with 63kms to go in Marzina was not contested, the gap was 1.36
At the top of the category three Lekioz climb with 41kms left, the gap from this group led by Maxime Iglinskiy was 39 seconds.
Just before the sprint at Exetbarria, Oliveria went away to take the points but was quickly brought back by this lead group.
Onto the Category One Isua climb which has gradients with an average of 6.8%, the neutral service vehicles were pulled out as the breakaway split and started to be swallowed up by the peloton led by Alejandro Valverde of Movistar.
Belkin's Bauke Mollema, Tim Wellems and Bob Jungels ploughed on, building a twenty four second lead as they crested the Isua with twenty five kilometres to go.
Mollema lost touch with Wellems and Jungels on the descent which saw speeds of 60km/h and with 12.6kms to go, Pieter Weening was trying to bridge just ahead of the peloton which had Contador and Valverde together.
Weening of Orica Green Edge stormed past on an Aiastia climb which had ramps of 9%. With a kilometre left of the climb, Valvervde attacked but Contador stayed on his wheel and Woulter Poels, who had won the fourth stage, joined them over the line.
There was eight kilometres to go, starting with the descent to the finish line and the trio started to pulled away.
Cadel Evans led the pelotn who did not give up and with 1700ms to go, Valverde, Contador and Poels were caught.
Under the flam rouge and Tony Martin of Omega Pharma Quick Step was on the front with Team Sky's Ben Swift handily place.
Michael Kwiatkowski went but round him came Ben Swift to win in 3.56.57 beating Kwiatkowski, Valverde, Slagter, Cunego, Gautier, Hivert and Peraud.
Contador, who finished ninth keeps his twelve second lead over Valverde going into the final 25.9km time trial.