
Dan Martin has clearly been in great form at La Vuelta, where he has already won a stage and been in the fight for the final podium.
The Irishman, now riding for Israel Start-Up Nation, put in a very solid shift during yesterday's stage 13 TT and he believed it was one of the best time trials of his career.
However, while he limited his losses well, the three riders ahead of him in the general classification all put time into him; Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma), Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling) and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers).
The 33.7km TT yesterday finished with a cat 3 climb, some 1.8km long at an average gradient of just over 14 per cent. And now the split times for the climb - below - show Martin was by far the fastest up it.
He was 10 seconds quicker than the next fastest; stage winner and now race leader again, Roglic. Then Carthy was next fastest up the climb, some 18 seconds down on Martin, though the Irish rider lost 52 seconds to Carthy in the TT.
The times suggest Martin could have afforded to push himself harder during the long flat section of the climb.
However, the fact he was quickest on the climb at least shows he is recovering well and is still in great shape with five stages remaining and as he fights to move from 4th overall onto the podium.
Stage 13 TT: Final Climb, times
- Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) 6:57
- Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) at 10 seconds
- Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling) at 18 seconds
- Wout Poels (Bahrain McLaren) at 21 seconds
- David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ) at 22 seconds
- Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana) at 23 seconds
- Clement Champoussin (AG2R La Mondiale) at 24 seconds
- Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) at 28 seconds
- Enric Mas (Movistar) at 32 seconds
- Will Barta (CCC Team) at 33 seconds
- Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) at 35 seconds
- Thymen Arensman (Team Sunweb) at 37 seconds
- Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck-QuickStep) at 37 seconds
- Marc Soler (Movistar) at 38 seconds
- Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) at 38 seconds