Dan Martin faltered when the road went up in the finale of stage 6, but he dug deep and came out of the stage with his hopes still credible (Photo: Stefano Sirotti)
Dan Martin has endured a testing day on the first real climbs of the Vuelta a Espana; losing time in the closing stages of the first summit finish of the race.
However, the Garmin Sharp rider’s hopes of a very strong general classification ride are still intact after he limited his loses on the select group. He lost contact with the leaders half way up the final ascent on today’s 168km trek from Benalmádena to La Zubia.
On that 4km climb to the finish, the peloton was whittled down to a small select group. And with 2km remaining and just 15 riders at the front of the race, Martin was still there.
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A little further down the climb, he was earlier seen on the front and it looked for a time that he may try for a stage win having already taken a 2nd and 5th since the race began on Saturday.
However, with exactly 1.8km remaining and with the Movistar duo of Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde on the front of the group setting a fast pace, Martin slid off the back.
He was quickly joined by another man tipped for a strong overall rider, Wilco Kelderman of the Belkin team.
With the Movistar duo continuing to push on, the front group came down to nine riders, with Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) also present.
Valverde timed his finishing kick very well to take the stage win and the race leader's red jersey (Photo: Stefano Sirotti)
With 600 metres remaining, it was another of the big guns in the shape of Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) who lashed out; attacking for home and immediately splitting the lead group.
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However, Quintana, Valverde, Froome and Contador came back at him before Valverde kicked; his effort proving the winning of the stage.
Martin was to lose 59 seconds while Team Sky’s Philip Deignan finished in a group some 11:47 down. While Martin will be disappointed with the time loss, he held his shape reasonably well in limiting his losses, though was clearly exhausted when he came over the line.
He is now 17th overall, some 1:37 down on Valverde and still well within striking distance of the podium if he can find his climbing legs in the fortnight to come.
Valverde’s stage win was enough to put him back into the leader’s jersey, which he took from Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEDGE).
Stage 6: Benalmádena to La Zubia (168km)
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 4:35:27
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
3 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo
4 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha 0:00:08
5 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:12
6 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:18
7 Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Orica Greenedge 0:00:25
8 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
9 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Team Sky 0:00:32
10 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:33
11 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano
12 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) MTN - Qhubeka 0:00:40
13 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:44
14 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
15 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team 0:00:47
16 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale 0:00:56
17 Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre-Merida 0:00:59
18 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin Sharp
19 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:01:04
20 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica Greenedge 0:01:07
132 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky 0:11:47
General Classification
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 22:48:08
2 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:15
3 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:18
4 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:22
5 Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Orica Greenedge 0:00:41
6 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha 0:00:45
7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:55
8 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:58
9 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano 0:01:02
10 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:01:06
11 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Team Sky 0:01:09
12 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team 0:01:11
13 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale 0:01:12
14 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick Step 0:01:18
15 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) MTN - Qhubeka 0:01:19
17 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin Sharp 0:01:37
79 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky 0:22:40
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