French rider Samuel Dumoulin won the fifth stage of the Tour of Catalunya 2011 earlier today, while overall leader Alberto Contador crept closer to a victory on debut.

Dumoulin, riding for Team Cofidis, finished the 206-kilometer (128-mile) ride from El Vendrell to Tarragona in 4 hours, 49 minutes, 31 seconds.

"It is a confirmation of my work, I am very happy to continue winning," the 30-year-old Dumoulin said. Only 1.58 cm tall, Dumoulin once again proved that small riders are more than capable of winning pro cycling races in magnificent fashion.

Contador, of Team Saxo Bank-SunGard, finished out of the top 10, but kept the leader's jersey. He remained 23 seconds ahead of American rider Levi Leipheimer and Italy's Michele Scarponi.

"It was just by the book and by the look of the profile of the two final stages, the overall win is definitely within reach. However, races are never won beforehand and you have to stay prepared and expect the unexpected so we will keep our focus on the job and stay in the front until the final kilometer of the race," Team Saxo Bank-SunGard's sports director Dan Frost told Roadcycling.com.

On Thursday, the International Cycling Union decided to challenge Contador's acquittal by the Spanish cycling federation for a positive test for clenbuterol while winning his third Tour de France last year.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it's aiming to give a verdict before the Tour de France starts July 2.

Since being cleared by the Spanish federation of a proposed one-year ban in late January, Contador has competed twice, finishing fourth in the Tour of Algarve in Portugal and winning the Vuelta of Murcia in Spain earlier this month.

The Volta of Catalunya, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, finishes Sunday.

Download Roadcycling.com's new cycling iPhone app online at http://itunes.apple.com/app/roadcycling-cycling-app/id395146493