Dan Martin has taken advantage of a tough, wet and cold day in the mountains in France to test himself and show some good form (Photo: Stefano Sirotti)
By Brian Canty
Ireland's Dan Martin has taken his best result for months today when he finished third on stage 3 of the Tour L'Ain in France.
The Garmin-SHARP rider came home behind stage winner Jan Bert-Lindeman (Rabobank Development Team) and one of the stars of this year’s Tour de France, Romain Bardet (Ag2R La Mondiale).
"I'm getting there, I was a bit better than the result shows I think,” Martin told stickybottle after his best ride since crashing in the Giro d’Italia at the beginning of May.
“I made it a hard day the way I rode but it was even harder with the weather, it was hammering rain and eight degrees. I went with the breaks early on but nothing was getting away, then I missed Bardet's attack.
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"I went after him and waited for a few to come across to me and we rode together. Then I attacked them and rode 10k with three more guys so it was good. The form is coming."
Martin is now third overall, behind those who bested him today, with the young Dutchman taking the race lead. Bardet is 54 seconds behind and Martin next at 2:24.
Today’s result, on what was a brutally hard day over 143km from Lagnieu to Lelex-Mont Jura, was the clearest indication yet from the specialist climber that he is getting back into really good condition.
In total, there were four climbs today; the latter two cat one ascents. By the time the race reached the toughest of those, the break had absconded with stage winner Lindeman in it.
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Because of his crash on the opening stage of the Giro where he broke his collar bone, Martin has endured a frustrating season, missing the Tour de France because he was not ready to ride it.
However, his form seems to be bubbling away nicely in time for the Vuelta a Espana, which begins next weekend.
Before his crash he spent his early season keeping a lid on his form in anticipation of an all-out assault on the Giro, which started in Ireland.
Just before it, he had taken a superb second in the Fleche Wallonne Ardennes Classic. Within days, a crash on the final corner of Liege Bastogne Liege scuppered his chances of a definite podium and a likely consecutive win after he hit the deck when leading solo out front.
Tomorrow’s final stage is another chance for Martin to show his climbing legs as there are a whopping seven climbs on the final 138 kilometre leg from Nantua to Arbent.
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