Schumacher to defend lead in 5th stage of Tour

German rider Stefan Schumacher wore the overall leader's yellow jersey for the start of the fifth stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday.

Schumacher took the jersey after winning Tuesday's fourth stage. He held a small lead as cyclists embarked on the longest and flattest stage of the race, a 144-mile trek from Cholet to Chateauroux that favors sprinters.

Schumacher, who is not among the favorites to win the Tour, led Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain by 12 seconds.

Cadel Evans, last year's runner-up, is 21 seconds behind in fourth place and in a strong position for the first medium-sized mountain stage on Thursday.

Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde, who is also among the Tour contenders, fell about 50 miles into the stage but got back on his bike with cuts on his right arm.

Colombian rider Juan Mauricio Soler, who has ridden with injured wrists since crashing in Saturday's first stage, pulled out of the race early into the stage. He was the King of the Mountains champion as the Tour's best climber last year.