THE frustration of Australian Robbie McEwen hinted at a suspicion that what should be a prime chance for him and the other Tour de France sprinters to win Thursday's fifth stage may no longer be.

The 232-kilometre leg from Cholet to Chateauroux is the longest stage in this year's 3560-kilometre Tour. It is also the flattest, and thus — on paper — should be the most idyllic for sprinters and their teams to control.

However, as was shown by Monday's 208-kilometre third stage from Saint Malo to Nantes that was also meant to be a day to end with a sprinter standing on the podium, the sprinters' teams in this year's race are short of the collective muscle to close down attacks and force a bunched dash to the finish.

Stage three, raced in rain and wind with gusts reaching 60 kmh and switched from cross to tail in the final kilometres, was eventually fought out by a four-man break that set off in the opening kilometres.

Frenchmen Romain Feillu (Cofidis) and Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), Italian Paolo Longho Borghini (Barloworld) and American Will Frischkorn (Garmin-Chipotle) gained a lead of 14 minutes and 50 seconds at 66 kilometres, before any of the sprinter's team decided to ignite the chase that was long needed.

But it all came too late against the attackers who worked tirelessly together to stay clear to the finish.

As French cycling legend Laurent Jalabert later said of the peloton's fate: "They fell into a trap."

But judging by the words of McEwen (Silence-Lotto) — who cannot draw on support to help chase as his team is prioritising the bid by Australian Cadel Evans to win the Tour — the sprinters may find their hands tied and challenged again for their stake of the winner's pie if a similar attack goes on Thursday.

Stage three, won by Dumoulin, showed how an attack can reward. And the overall lead of Spain's Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) passed to Feillu.

But asked how the stage unfolded the way it did, McEwen — who showed he has the winning speed to beat his rival sprinters by taking out the bunch sprint for fifth place at two minutes and three seconds — said: "I (told) a few guys before the start of the Tour that there isn't really any team completely built around a sprinter." He added that the sprinters' teams in the Tour were split in half between riders vying for their overall place and needing help and those who help sprinters in bunched finales.

"They all sit there looking at each other and deciding who is going to do the work and who is going to sit behind.

"By the time they work that out it is too late. The break has 15 minutes. You are not going to catch it."

The opportunities for sprinters to win a stage are few between Thursday and the Tour finish in Paris on July 27. But with the sprinters' teams stung after being caught out at Nantes, they should respond to any attack on Thursday by chasing it a lot earlier.

Australian Mark Renshaw (Credit Agricole) believes there is plenty of winning speed left in the legs of Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd, who he led out for his stage two win at Saint Brieuc on Sunday.

"Thor probably has a bit more confidence now and so has the team. If we can ride on that a little more I think we might be able to get another victory," he said.

New South Welshman Renshaw, who is racing his first Tour, described it as "a lot different to any other race — all you ever hear is screaming fans".