Dan Martin can be seen here third in line during yesterday's Vuelta opening team time trial stage. He did not come down when two of his team mates fell, but he lost a lot of time.
The very poor time posted by Dan Martin’s Garmin-Sharp in the opening stage team time trial of the Vuelta a Espana yesterday is down to the fact they crashed during the race and lost two men, it has emerged.
While the Irishman was not a faller, his team mates Michel Kreder and Koldo Fernández both hit the deck.
Kreder broke a wheel and needed a change so he was left by the rest of his team mates, who continued on without him. The news was much worse for Fernández, who broke a rib and did not start this morning; his Vuelta over just one day into the race.
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It meant the team finishing the test with just six riders and having its formation completely messed up for the rest of the stage after the spill.
The riders were also slowed by the delay in trying to regroup after the incident occurred, speeding down a descent in the early part of the stage.
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They finished well down the field; 19th of the 22 teams and 1:41 behind winners Astana.
Team manager Johnny Weltz said he warned the riders there was little to gain by cornering too quickly descending but those warnings appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.
While GC contender Martin had lost a lot of time, Weltz suggested the fact the last week or so was the hardest of the three week Tour meant the Irishman had plenty of time and opportunity to make gains.
“If he’d broken something, then it would have been a disaster. But Dan’s in very good shape, and we can turn this around.”
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