Dan Martin will not be racing a huge number of events this year but any event he does he will be in it to win. And he started off on a very positive note today by taking fifth on GC at the Volta A la Communicat Valenciana (2.1) in Spain.
By Brian Canty
Dan Martin has finished his first race of the season in fifth place overall, the Quick-Step Floors Cycling Team man completing the five-day Volta A la Communicat Valenciana just over a minute down on winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar).
The Irishman was fifth coming into today’s weather-hit final stage following a brilliant performance on yesterday’s penultimate leg.
And any hope he might have had of moving further up the standings today were dashed when the organisers took the sensible decision to shorten the stage from 130 kilometres to 51.
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Indeed, strong winds and rain saw the enforcement of the extreme weather protocol, though by the time the race was over warm sun bathed the riders as they crossed the line for the finish.
That isn't to suggest it was any way easy, far from it, as the strong winds cut the bunch in half at one point in scenes more like events in Oman and Dubai.
Thanks to the organizers for thinking of our safety. But not sure what's more dangerous. Wind or a 180rider 35km criterium #VCV2017
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) February 5, 2017
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Just over half the bunch were actually in the bunch which contested the finish, with Ireland’s Nicolas Roche one of the notable absentees from the front.
Cousin Martin was in the front, however, keen to preserve his top GC position and he crossed the line in 32nd in the same time as stage winner Bryan Coquard of Direct Energie.
A few places behind Martin in 48th was another Irishman Philip Deignan while Ryan Mullen (Cannondale-Drapac Cycling Team) was also there in the front.
Quick –Step Floors Cycling Team were among the race’s main aggressors today and they almost took stage glory through Iljo Keisse who spent much of the day off the front.
Inside the final 20 kilometres, 2014 UCI World road race champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) joined the Belgian up front and despite a savage effort to hold off the bunch they were caught with less than 400 metres to go.
Keisse did manage to hold on for fifth however, with Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis, Credits Solutions) and Coen Vermeltfoort (Roompot Nederland Loterij) filling the podium.
Volta A la Communicat Valenciana
Stage 5, Valencia-Valencia, 51km
1 Bryan COQUARD, DIRECT ENERGIE, in 1:01.23
2 Nacer BOUHANNI, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CRÉDITS @s/t
3 Coen VERMELTFOORT, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ @s/t
4 Yves LAMPAERT, QUICK-STEP FLOORS @s/t
5 Iljo KEISSE, QUICK-STEP FLOORS @s/t
6 Viacheslav KUZNETSOV, KATUSHA-ALPECIN @s/t
7 Magnus Cort NIELSEN, ORICA-SCOTT @s/t
8 Guillaume BOIVIN, ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY @s/t
9 Enrique SANZ UNZUE, SPAIN @s/t
10 Kristian SBARAGLI, DIMENSION DATA @s/t
32 Dan MARTIN, QUICK-STEP FLOORS, @s/t
48 Philip DEIGNAN, TEAM SKY @s/t
85 Ryan MULLEN, Cannondale-Drapac Cycling Team @s/t
126 Nicolas ROCHE, BMC RACING TEAM @1:45
General Classification
1 Nairo QUINTANA, MOVISTAR, in 15:21.49
2 Ben HERMANS, BMC RACING @13secs
3 Manuel SENNI, BMC RACING @32secs
4 Wout POELS, TEAM SKY @52secs
5 Daniel MARTIN, QUICK-STEP FLOORS @1:09
6 Jakob FUGLSANG, ASTANA PRO TEAM @1:42
7 David DE LA CRUZ MELGAREJO, QUICK-STEP FLOORS @1:53
8 Steven KRUIJSWIJK, TEAM LOTTONL-JUMBO @2:12
9 Merhawi KUDUS GHEBREMEDHIN, DIMENSION DATA @2:13
10 Jonathan CASTROVIEJO, MOVISTAR @2:25
16 Philip DEIGNAN, TEAM SKY @3:16
42 Nicolas ROCHE, BMC RACING TEAM @11:37
121 Ryan MULLEN, Cannondale-Drapac Cycling Team @40:53
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