Dan Martin sprints against Adam Yates for 3rd place at the end of a very hilly stage 5, with yellow jersey Alberto Contador just behind them (Photo: Sirotti)
Dan Martin has once again shown fantastic condition at Critérium du Dauphiné in France; attacking in the final and proving one of the very last men standing as yellow jersey Alberto Contador went out the back.
Friday's 140km stage 5 took the riders from La Ravoire to Vaujany, and with six of the seven categorised climbs coming in the first 80km, the riders were always going to reach the final ascent up to the finish line on their hands and knees.
But while what remained of the peloton would indeed shatter on the final cat 2 ascent to the finish, it was Ireland's Martin who threw the ball in with 3.1km remaining.
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The Irishman pounced off the front of what had become a select group and went off in pursuit of Team Sky's Mikel Landa who was leading the stage just a few seconds up the road.
Race leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff), overall contender Richie Porte (BMC) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r) were all able to react to the Irishman.
But such is Martin's ability and form right now; he continued dancing on the pedals, proving adept in sustaining his effort and hurting the best riders in the world as they clung to him.
The last climb of the day, above, proved the key moment of the stage and Ireland's Dan Martin made a nuisance of himself. He is showing fantastic consistency and it appears his change of team and less hectic race schedule of late have done him a world of good.
Surprisingly, while Martin continued to pull on the front of the four-man group riding away from the others, it was Chris Froome (Team Sky) who appeared to be losing ground.
However, any fear the Kenyan-born Briton was going to be blown right out the back by the British-born Irishman was quickly scotched.
Within 400 metres of Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) attacking and pulling Porte, Contador and Bardet clear of Froome, the Tour de France champion had ridden back up to them, gathered himself for a moment and then attacked.
And when he accelerated everyone but Porte went backwards.
Bardet and Contador tried to follow the Froome-Porte express, and distanced Martin in doing so.
However, the Irish climber rode the final part of the climb very well; never panicking and inching up to Contador and Bardet before dropping them.
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Froome took the stage win just head of Porte. They proved strongest on the day but Martin looked best of the rest in the final, though he was pipped for 3rd by Yates.
In the end Adam Yates of Orica-GreenEdge would catch Martin and they would sprint to the finish line side by side, with Yates taking 3rd on the stage just 19 seconds down on stage winner and new race leader Froome.
Martin was 4th on the same time as Yates, with Contador slipping out of yellow a further two seconds back.
Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18) is the only other Irishman in the race and the lumpy terrain today was never going to be to his liking.
After finishing 3rd on stage 1 as well as sprinting in for 6th on stage 3 and taken 9th yesterday, he came home in a large group 20:32 down today in 142nd.
Froome now leads overall by 7 seconds from Porte, with Contador 27 seconds off yellow.
Martin is 4th, some 37 seconds down on the leader and five seconds ahead of his own team mate Julian Alaphilippe.
Saturday's stage 6 takes the riders 141km from La Rochette to Méribel and it is a stage that can suit Martin again.
It includes the Col de Champ-Laurent, Col du Grand Cucheron, Col de la Madeleine, Montée des Frasses and the final cat 1 climb to Meribel.
Stage 5: La Ravoire - Vaujany, 140km
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 3:32:20
2 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:01
3 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge 0:00:19
4 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team 0:00:21
6 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
7 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:00:27
8 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
9 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Lampre - Merida
10 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step
General Classification
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 21:24:59
2 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:07
3 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team 0:00:27
4 Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:37
5 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:42
6 Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge 0:00:52
7 Diego Rosa (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:01:08
8 Daniel Navarro (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:16
9 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:21
10 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Lampre - Merida 0:01:27
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