Dan Martin has once again this season shown he can take on and beat the best; riding really well in a testing final at the Tour de France (Photo: Sirotti)
Dan Martin has taken a strong 5th place on stage five of the Tour de France, proving one of the strongest and finishing ahead of the race’s biggest names after a testing final third of the stage in the Massif Central.
Unfortunately for the British-born Irish international a breakaway stole the day meaning he was only ever scrapping for the minor placings.
But, once again this season, he looks in mint condition and will be relishing the bigger climbing tests to come once he can stay out of trouble on a race with no shortage of crashes in the opening stages.
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Today’s stage into Le Lioran at the end of 216km was won by Belgian Greg Van Avermaet riding for BMC.
And not only did he very impressively solo to victory by dropping his companions in the day’s winning breakaway; he put just over five minutes in the general classification favourites.
And because he avoided losing any real time on the opening stages he now leads the race by a whopping 5:11 from Martin’s team mate Julian Alaphilippe.
Martin’s 5th place on the stage nudged him a couple of places higher overall and he is now back to 10th.
He is part of a group some 5:17 down on the new race leader on a day when the sprinters were scratched from the top of the overall standings.
Belgian Greg Van Avermaet riding for BMC takes the stage and now holds the race lead by a really big margin.
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The new race leader would drop the second last man standing from the early escape, Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), on the second last climb of the day with just over 17km remaining to the finish.
And once he shook him off he put his head down, keeping his shape over the final Col de Font de Cère climb of the day and winning by 2:34 from De Gendt.
Next home was the group of favourites – which resembled a large breakaway rather than a peloton – after the likes of Movistar and Team Sky had set a high pace in pursuit of the escape over the top of the final climbs all packed into the last third of the stage.
Rafal Majka (Tinkoff Team) would take 3rd on the stage, some 5:04 down having been in the breakaway but been dropped by it.
Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) came home on the same time in 4th; catching Majka on the line as he pulled away from the favourites group in the final kick for home.
Then Martin was 5th a further three seconds back at the head of the group that contained the biggest names including Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Fabio Aru (Astana), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Chris Froome (Team Sky).
But relinquishing 16 seconds to Martin’s group was Geraint Thomas of Team Sky, with Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) another 17 seconds back – both men having been injured in crashes already on this race.
Another man to have suffered in a fall – on stage 1; Sam Bennett of Bora-Argon 18 finished in 193rd place in a group some 28:34 down.
Stage 5: Limoges - Le Lioran (216km)
1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 5:31:36
2 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:34
3 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff Team 0:05:04
4 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
5 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:05:07
6 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Bora-Argon 18
7 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step
8 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange
9 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
10 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
General Classification
1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 25:34:46
2 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:05:11
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:13
4 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 0:05:14
5 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:05:17
6 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin
7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
8 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
9 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Cannondale-Drapac
10 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step
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