Dan Martin under peak pressure at the top of the Mur de Huy at the end of La Flèche Wallonne yesterday in Belgium. He took 5th but said he was forced a fight for position late in the race due to a mistake

Dan Martin has said a costly mistake in the finale of La Flèche Wallonne yesterday meant he was left fighting for position before the final climb.

The Irish rider was nowhere to be seen near the front of the reduced peloton when the final ascent of the Mur de Huy began, though the other favourites were close to the tip of the group.

However, as the climb progressed Martin came into view and when the finish line neared he was among the front runners before eventually finishing 5th.

He has a fantastic record in the race having finished in the top six no fewer than six times, including being 2nd twice and 3rd once, though he has appeared to start the final climb poorly positioned.

Yesterday’s finish was another example of that and this time he appeared to start the final climb even further back than usual.

However, he said his poor positioning on the final climb yesterday resulted from a mistake rather than any misjudgement and he also felt his legs were not as good as they might have been.

Dan Martin and his team close to the front at La Fleche Wallonne, though Martin’s positioning was not as good on the final ascent of the Mur de Huy
Marc Hirschi takes a brilliant win with Dan Martin, partially obscured, just behind

Though Martin gained ground on most of his rivals on the Mur de Huy, and looked like he tackled the final few hundred metres faster than anyone, he had simply given himself too much to do.

Marc Hirschi (Team Sunweb) took a superb win after positioning himself at, or just off, the front all the way up the climb, beating Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale) and Michael Woods (EF Pro Cycling) to victory.

Warren Barguil (Arkéa Samsic) overtook Martin just before the line with the Irish rider forced to settle for 5th place; though a great result after fracturing a bone in his back at Critérium du Dauphiné in August and going into the Tour de France injured.

“I really tried but didn’t quite have the legs. I made a mistake with 3km to go, had to brake hard, and that cost me a lot of positions,” Martin explained.

“So, from that point, I was always chasing but still managed to get to the front with 500m to go, but just didn’t have the snap left to challenge for the win.

“I missed the world championship so I’d be ready and good here, and really wanted to try and win.”

However, while he is still missing a win in the 202km classic after 12 appearances, his result yesterday was one of his best since his last race win in July, 2018 – at the Tour de France .

It bodes very well for Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a race he won in 2013 and was 2nd in three years ago. Reflecting on his result of yesterday, Martin confirmed it was a confidence-booster.

“I’m feeling good, and the guys put out a great team effort to protect me all day, and we will be even stronger collectively at Liege-Bastogne-Liege,” he said.