Dan Martin within striking distance of Tour de France yellow on eve of first summit finish

An early move goes away today from which Blel Kadri (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Jens Voigt (Radioshack-Leopard) managed to escape.

By Gavin McLoughlin

Ireland’s Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche remain well-placed in the overall standings after stage 7 of the Tour de France today, Friday.

The Irish duo arrived in the lead group after a shrewd tactical performance from the Cannondale team shed the pure sprinters and paved the way for team leader Peter Sagan to take stage honours.

Martin is up to 15^th overall after the Australian Adam Hansen arrived in the sprinters’ group, some 15 minutes behind Sagan. The Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner is 22 seconds behind race leader Daryl Impey (Orica-Green Edge), and will hope to propel himself up the overall standings tomorrow when the race enters the high mountains.

He is well within striking distance of yellow going into a stage that should suit him. And while Roche is slightly better placed - in 9th at 14 seconds - he will not be as free as Martin to ride for himself tomorrow, instead being bound by team duties for leader Alberto Contador.

His efforts will be of crucial importance tomorrow as Saxo-Tinkoff leader Contador does battle with the general classification favourites.

Today saw the riders tackle an undulating 206 kilometre run from Montpellier to Albi. None of the climbs looked especially arduous and with the last 35 kilometres mostly running downhill, another bunch sprint appeared the most likely outcome.

The pace was high in the early part of the morning and eventually the duo of Blel Kadri (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Jens Voigt (Radioshack-Leopard) managed to escape from the bunch. On the second-category Col de la Croix de Mounis, Cannondale demonstrated their ambitions by swarming to the front of the peloton and setting a fierce pace that put the pure sprinters in difficulty.

Martin was near the back of the peloton at this time, and as the heavier men began to suffer the Irishman was among a number of climbers forced to dart around the strugglers and re-establish contact with the main bunch.

André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) had been distanced, and their lieutenants toiled hard in an effort to bring the fast men back to the fray.

Ahead, Cannondale pushed on relentlessly and before long they reeled in Voigt and Kadri with just under 100 kilometres remaining.

Sagan took maximum points at the intermediate sprint and shortly afterward a new breakaway consisting of Jan Bakelants (Radioshack-Leopard), Cyril Gautier (Europcar) and Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel-Euskadi) formed. Behind, the sprinters’ group was floundering and eventually they would give up the chase. Cannondale’s tactics had worked perfectly.

The men in lime-green remained on the front of the peloton for much of the run-in and the escapees were swallowed up with 3 kilometres to go. John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) and Daniele Bennati (Saxo-Tinkoff) gave of their best but none could match Sagan and the Slovak speed-merchant bagged his first victory of the race.

Tomorrow the race enters the Pyrenees in a 195 kilometre run from Castres to the summit of the first-category Ax-3 Domaines climb. Before the final ascent, the riders will scale the hors-categorie Col de Pailhères.

The day is certain to provide a revealing insight into the condition of the overall contenders, and let’s hope Martin and Roche can perform well.

@gavmcloughlin

Stage 7: Montpellier to Albi (206km)

1 Peter Sagan (Cannondale) 4:54:12

2 John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano)

3 Daniele Bennati (Team Saxo-Tinkoff)

4 Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)