French rider Frederic Guesdon of La Francaise des Jeux team won a sprint finish to take the 206km fifth stage of the Dauphine Libere cycling race on Friday.

But three-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong maintained his overall lead - 16 seconds ahead of US Postal team-mate and fellow American Floyd Landis.

The tough 204km course from Digne-Les-Bains to Grenoble goes over four steep climbs - Col du Labouret, Col du Festre, Cote dela Maserange and Cote de la Mure.

The race ends on Sunday in Geneva.

Doping investigation

In other news, the doping investigation into Lance Armstrong's US Postal team could close due to lack of evidence.

Three-times Tour de France winner Armstrong and his team-mates have been under investigation since November 2000 accused of taking the banned substance EPO.

US Postal claimed they had used several products containing calves' blood, the effects of which are similar to that of EPO, but Armstrong has always denied using the illegal performance enhancer.

However, it now seems the team will be cleared of all blame as the court doesn't have enough evidence to prosecute.

"Legally we have nothing to establish there has been drug use," Francois Franchi, head of the non-financial organised crime department in Paris told news agency AFP.

"The tests done haven't been sufficient enough to trace the molecule used if there has been drugs use.

"The inquiry is going nowhere and it will need to be wound-up in the coming weeks."

Leading results from the 204km fifth stage of the Dauphine Libere cycling race between Digne-les-Bains and Grenoble

1. Frederic Guesdon (France), La Francaise des Jeux, five hours seven minutes 59 seconds
2. Santiago Botero (Colombia), Kelme
3. Laurent Jalabert (France), CSC-Tiscali
4. Ludovic Turpin (France), AG2r Prevoyance
5. Patxi Vila (Spain) Ibanesto.com, all same time
6. Christophe Edaleine (France), Jean Delatour, one minute 54 seconds behind
7. Francois Simon (France), Bonjour
8. Nicolas Jalabert (France), CSC-Tiscali
9. Anthony Morin (France), Credit Agricole, all same time
10. Guido Trentin (Italy), Cofidis, 1:56

Overall standings:

1. Lance Armstrong (US), US Postal, 20 hours 28 minutes 12 seconds
2. Floyd Landis (US), US Postal, 16 seconds behind
3. Haimar Zubeldia (Spa), Euskaltel, 1:12
4. Denis Menchov (Rus), Ibanesto.com, 1:59
5. Christophe Moreau (Fra), Credit Agricole, 2:18
6. Oscar Sevilla (Spa), Kelme, 2:57
7. Aitor Kintana (Spa), BigMat-Auber 93, 3:07
8. David Millar (GBR), Cofidis, same time
9. Felix Garcia-Casas (Spa), Bigmat-Auber, 93 3:15
10. Andrei Kivilev (Kaz), Cofidis, 3:22