Basso, left, just about gets the better of Martin, right, in Japan this morning
Dan Martin used his punchy climbing and fast finishing kick to good effect at the Japan Cup early this morning, Sunday, Irish time; ripping the race apart but just being edged out by Ivan Basso in the sprint for victory from the breakaway.
It was the second time in recent weeks that Martin has gone very close to taking his first win of the season. He was just about pipped by Astana’s Francesco Gavazzi on the line for a stage win in the Tour of Beijing in the uphill gallop on the penultimate stage.
This morning’s 151km race in Utsunomiya really was all about the Irishman once the business end of the day took hold and the real race for the win began.
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Having taken the climbers’ classification in Beijing and been fourth overall, Martin was clearly one of the very strongest riders in the peloton in China and he was perhaps the strongest in Japan this morning.
He was clearly intent on trying to win the race, having demolished the filed here in 2010 to take a fantastic solo victory.
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Basso’s Liquigas Cannondale squad were very keen today to control the action, though it appeared they were working for Peter Sagan rather than the eventual winner.
However, Martin is a protagonist of old school racing and when he took the race to the others with around 20km remaining it was he who bossed the action all the way to the line.
At that 20km mark he put in a massive attack on the main climb on the course, opening a good gap alone that only Basso, Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Julian Arredondo (Team Nippo) could close down after a period.
Once that group of four moved clear is was game over for the rest of the peloton. The leaders combined well to ensure they were never going to be caught. Martin then attacked a lap later the last time up the hill and he had another big dig as the race entered the closing stages.
However, he could not shake off his fellow escapees and when he attacked for the final time it was Basso who showed he had the legs and determination to win by being the one who went after the flying Irishman.
In the gallop to the line, Basso just about got the better of the Irishman to take a rare one-day win. It was his last race in a Liquigas jersey, with the sponsor ending its association with the team this year.
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