Juan Ayuso won the brutal fifth stage of the 2023 Tour de Suisse on Thursday, and Mattias Skjelmose took the overall lead.

Ayuso surged clear 13 kilometers from the line on the final part of the climb up Albulapass on a mountainous 211-kilometer stage.

The Team UAE rider increased his advantage as he hit speeds of more than 90kph on a long, hair-raising descent to the finish at La Punt.

The 20-year-old Spaniard, who last year became the youngest top-3 finisher in the Spanish Vuelta, missed the start of the season with a problem in a tendon in his lower leg.

As he crossed the line Thursday, he lifted his right foot off the pedal and slapped his calf.

The day before, Ayuso had not been able to keep up with stage winner Felix Gall on the final climb. On Thursday, he overpowered his rivals.

"The body is the body," Ayuso said at the finish. "Yesterday, I had no legs and just had to suffer, then today, at the end, I felt much better. It was a very hard stage, a lot of climbing, a lot of altitude, so it was very tough."

Skjelmose, of Trek-Segafredo, sprinted to grab second, 54 seconds later, collecting a six-second bonus.

The Dane took the overall lead from Austria's Gall, of AG2R-Citroen, who faded in the home straight and was a further four seconds back in eighth place.

Belgian world and Vuelta champion Remco Evenepoel, who started the day in second place, faltered on the last climb and was unable to catch his main rivals on the descent, finishing 1 minute, 20 seconds behind Ayuso.

Skjelmose leads Gall by eight seconds, with Ayuso up to third, 18 seconds off the lead. Evenepoel at 46 seconds.

The race continues Friday with a hilly 215.3-kilometer ride to Oberwil-Lieli. It ends Sunday with a 25.7-kilometer time trial. 

On his comeback in the Tour of Romandie in April, Ayuso won the time trial.

"It's going to be a very close battle, but if I can win this race, it'll be one of my greatest achievements," Ayuso said.