Australia's Ben O'Connor is in second place overall at the Criterium du Dauphine but Jonas Vingegaard has shown the peloton a clean pair of heels as he surged clear to win the fifth stage by 31 seconds and take the race lead.
O'Connor (Ag2r-Citroen) gestured in vain for help from the other GC riders on Thursday as Vingegaard surged clear by more than 30 seconds with 14km remaining, but there were no takers.
Julian Alaphilippe eventually claimed second place but finished well adrift of the 26-year-old Dane.
It was a spectacular result for Vingegaard, last year's Tour de France winner, after the disappointment of being edged out in Wednesday's time trial by his compatriot Mikkel Bjerg, who was the overnight race leader.
On an overcast day, Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz broke away, but when the Ecuadorian fell off the pace, the Dane rode on alone to victory in the 191km stage from Cormoranche-sur-Saone to Salins-les-Bains, in southeast France.
In what may prove a decisive move before the riders head for the mountains on Friday, the Jumbo-Visma rider moved from second place to take over the lead from Bjerg, who started the day 12 seconds clear.
O'Connor is second overall, one minute 10 seconds behind, with Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) third.
Two other Australians, last year's Giro champion Jai Hindley and Jack Haig, are sixth and seventh, respectively, less than two minutes behind Vingegaard.
