Dan Martin enjoys very positive start at Tour de France

Dan Martin has enjoyed a positive start to the Tour de France; losing time on the stage but not to most of his general classification rivals.

The Irishman riding for QuickStep Flooring finished in 57th place in the sodden stage 1 TT, some 49 seconds down on winner Geraint Thomas (Team Sky).

Nicolas Roche (BMC Racing) is the only other Irish rider in the race and he would crash on the course.

However, he remounted and would finish in 122nd place, some 1:14 behind Tour de France yellow jersey and former team mate Thomas.

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Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Romain Bardet.

Tour de France defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) was 6th in the opening 14km test in Düsseldorf. He was just 12 seconds down on the winner and so is already 37 seconds ahead of Martin.

However, others competing against the Irish rider for a place in the top 5 or 10, or even the podium, come Paris in three weeks did not fare so well.

Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) put just 12 seconds into Martin. And Richie Porte (BMC Racing) was just two seconds ahead of Dan Martin.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was one second ahead of Martin. Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and  Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac) were both on the same time as Martin.

Thibaut Pinot ( FDJ) was a second behind Martin. And others the Irish rider put time into included:  Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale (2 seconds), Fabio Aru of Astana (3 seconds), Alberto Contador of Trek-Segafredo (5 seconds), Jakob Fuglsang of Astana (5 seconds), Rigoberto Uran of Cannondale-Drapac (14 seconds), Mikel Landa of Team Sky (19 seconds) and Louis Meintjes of UAE Team Emirates (23 seconds).

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) crashed out meaning Quintana has lost a big asset.

It means while Martin is normally looking at the GC after TTs assessing the damage and where he might gain back lost time, today most of his rivals were behind him or only just ahead.

Sat, July 1st, Stage 1: Düsseldorf TT (14km)

1 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:16:04
2 Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:00:05
3 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 0:00:07
4 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:08
5 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:10
6 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:12
7 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:15
8 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
9 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:16
10 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
11 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb
12 Taylor Phinney (USA) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:17
13 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
14 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-Scott 0:00:19
15 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:20
16 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb
17 Pierre Roger Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
18 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
19 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team 0:00:27
20 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:00:29
21 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:30
22 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:31
23 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:32
24 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
25 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:33
26 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:34
27 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:36
28 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin
29 Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott 0:00:37
30 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
31 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:39
32 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team
33 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:40
34 Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
35 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team
36 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team 0:00:41
37 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb
38 Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
39 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:42
40 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-Scott
41 Damien Howson (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:00:43
42 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
43 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:00:44
44 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
45 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:45
46 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ 0:00:46
47 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb
48 Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:00:47
49 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team
50 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:48
51 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
52 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Trek-Segafredo
53 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
54 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:49
55 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
56 Jack Bauer (NZl) Quick-Step Floors
57 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors
58 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
59 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
60 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ 0:00:50
61 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie
62 Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:00:51
63 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
64 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:52
65 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
66 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
67 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie 0:00:53
68 Alberto Contador (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:54
69 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
70 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
71 Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
72 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
73 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:00:55
74 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
75 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 0:00:56
76 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team
77 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
78 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Orica-Scott
79 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:00:57
80 Julien Vermote (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:58
81 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb 0:00:59
82 Rudy Molard (Fra) FDJ
83 Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro
84 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal
85 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:00
86 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
87 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
88 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:01:01
89 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
90 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:02
91 Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac
92 Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
93 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:01:03
94 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Katusha-Alpecin
95 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac
96 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-Scott 0:01:04
97 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro
98 Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha-Alpecin
99 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:05
100 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:06
101 Nathan Brown (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
102 Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky 0:01:08
103 Ben Swift (GBr) UAE Team Emirates
104 Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:09
105 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro
106 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
107 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data 0:01:10
108 Tsgabu Grmay (Eth) Bahrain-Merida
109 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe
110 Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo
111 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:01:11
112 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
113 Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:12
114 Daniel Mclay (GBr) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro
115 Manuele Mori (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
116 Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-Scott 0:01:13
117 Ondrej Cink (Cze) Bahrain-Merida
118 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Sunweb
119 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
120 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:14
121 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
122 Nicolas Roche (Irl) BMC Racing Team
123 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:15
124 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Cannondale-Drapac 0:01:16
125 Sergio Henao (Col) Team Sky
126 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
127 Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
128 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
129 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 0:01:17
130 Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro
131 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal
132 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:18
133 Mikel Nieve (Spa) Team Sky 0:01:20
134 Javier Moreno (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
135 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ
136 Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
137 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
138 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro
139 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
140 Matteo Bono (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
141 Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data
142 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
143 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:21
144 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 0:01:23
145 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
146 Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:24
147 Amael Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:01:25
148 Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro
149 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie 0:01:27
150 Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie
151 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
152 Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:28
153 Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:29
154 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-Alpecin
155 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
156 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ
157 Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
158 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Direct Energie 0:01:32
159 Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
160 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 0:01:36
161 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:37
162 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
163 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro 0:01:39
164 Borut Bozic (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:40
165 Davide Cimolai (Ita) FDJ
166 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:41
167 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 0:01:42
168 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
169 Cyril Gautier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:43
170 Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
171 Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
172 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
173 Romain Hardy (Fra) Team Fortuneo - Oscaro 0:01:45
174 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
175 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:46
176 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data
177 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Direct Energie 0:01:47
178 Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
179 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) FDJ 0:01:48
180 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale-Drapac
181 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension Data 0:01:50
182 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
183 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
184 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert 0:01:54
185 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:55
186 Daniel Navarro (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:57
187 Kristijan Durasek (Cro) UAE Team Emirates
188 Adam James Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:01:59
189 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:02:12
190 Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
191 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Katusha-Alpecin 0:02:13
192 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
193 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:02:23
194 Darwin Atapuma (Col) UAE Team Emirates 0:02:26
195 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:03:01
196 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal 0:03:03