Dan Martin on Zoncolan: "It wasn't a race, you just get to the finish" | Video | Sticky Bottle

*Dan Martin battles the gradient on Monte Zoncolan during yesterday's epic stage of the Giro d'Italia (Photo: Alessandro Bremec)*

Dan Martin has said he feels good after yesterday’s
finish on Monte Zoncolan at the Giro, adding he would continue to fight on in
the race as that was the kind of rider he was.

The Israel Start-Up Nation man went into the Giro a
strong contender for the top 10 overall. He was also an outside bet for the
final podium after his 4th place overall at La Vuelta last year, where he won a
stage.

While everything was going according to plan, and he looked like one of the best climbers, he was caught out on the gravel sections on stage 11 and lost time. He looked very disappointed and emotional in a TV interview after that stage but yesterday he clearly rallied and rode well.

While the breakaway men mopped up the top three placings
on the stage – including winner Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo-Kometa) – Martin was
12th. He lost time to some of the general classification riders but gained on
the others.

“I was surprised the gaps between the GC guys weren’t
bigger,” Martin said after the stage. “I’m happy with my performance today and
I am happy with how I’m feeling.

“Our small team rode really well. The guys really looked after me. In the end, I felt pretty good. I am in a good place mentally and physically and I will keep fighting. Fighting is my nature.”

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Martin said yesterday morning before the racing started
that the stage contained the first high mountains of the Giro and it would
point to who was best.

“You just get to the finish line,” he said when asked
about the last kilometre of the stage, as it is so steep.

“The last time I did Zoncolan it was the other side and it wasn’t a race, it’s too steep. You just get to the finish line and you see the result.”

Dan Martin in the favourites' group about to hit he mist and cold at the top of Monte Zoncolan. From past experience he said the climb was so steep you didn't really race up it. Rather, riders focused on getting to the finish and the result was the result

In the end yesterday, Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and
Simon Yates (BikeExchange) pulled away from all of the other heavy hitters in
the final kilometre and they are 1st and 2nd overall.

Behind them, it looks like a fight for 3rd place between
about eight riders. Dan Martin is currently just outside that group who still
look in contention for the podium, though there is still a very hard week to
come.

Martin said he was currently in “no man’s land” in that
he was no longer really in the GC fight, yet he was too close to it on time to
be given leeway to go in the breakaways.