Movistar's Alejandro Valverde took victory on stage five of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.
With Bart De Clerq the new race leader, the riders took on a 195.4km stage from Alps to Valls.
Elmiger, Polanc, Meier, Craddock, Stuyven, Mas, Vachon, Rutkiewicz, Hardy, Chetout, Coquard and Minnaard formed the first attack of the day but that was caught and Vallee took the three points for the opening sprint ahead of Henderson and Dan Martin of Cannondale Garmin, who was fourth on GC going into the stage.
Jan Polanc of Lampre, Calvin Watson of Trek and Johann Bagot of Cofidis launched a new attack and were five minutes clear with 91kms left on a day where temperatures were around the twenty three degrees mark.
They were caught with forty four kilometres remaining and with De Clerq struggling on the twenty kilometre climb which only went up by 440 metres, Richie Porte who was in the front group, was the new leader on the road.
Team Sky were forcing the pace on the front of the peloton who were 1.14 down on the lead group with fourteen kilometres left for the riders who were climbing up towards the catgory two Alt de Lilla climb which had its summit, some ten kilometres from the finish.
Alejandro Valverde went off the front but the winner was going to come from this group of nine riders which included Dan Martin and Alberto Contador, Porte, Van Garderen and Uran.
With three kilometres left, Valverde attacked again on the road in to Valls and the rest were not able to follow.
Valverde stormed under the flam rouge and negotiated a technical finish to win in 4.25.51 ahead of Uran, Tiralongo, Porte, Aru, Pozzovivo and Contador
Valverde said: "I had no other choice but to go and take my chance. I have put the pressure on the pack and I am looking for more bonuses tomorrow."
Bart De Clerq finished 2.39 down whilst Chris Froome, came in 8.35 down, meaning that Richie Porte leads race by five seconds from Pozzovivo and seven seconds from Alberto Contador.