Dan Martin pictured in yesterdays prologue TT (Photo: slipstreamsports.com)
Dan Martin (Garmin Barracuda) has suffered a major setback in today’s opening road stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné in France, falling very hard and finishing among the back markers, effectively ending his chances of a high overall placing.
The Irishman was one of a number of fallers as the riders negotiated a roundabout with 30kms remaining in the 187km stage from Seyssins to Saint-Vallier.
It was immediately apparent that Martin had fallen quite hard on his shoulder. While he remounted after a short period and began to chase back on, he looked to be in discomfort and had no team mates around him.
His fall came just as the riders were really ramping up the speed well inside the last hour of racing and as the bunch was being led by Omega Pharma-Quickstep in pursuit of a six-man escape just up the road.
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The positioning of the finish just 9kms from the top of the last climb of the day, a cat 3 ascent, did not exactly play into Martin’s hands as he tried to chase back on.
He eventually limped home alone, some 16:39 down on stage winner Cadel Evans (BMC); 172nd of the 175 finishers.
Evans took the stage after getting clear down the descent of that last climb in a three-man move that included Jerome Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) and Andriy Grivko (Astana). Evans was clearly riding for time and drove the trio into the finish as the bunch behind was closing in.
The Australian then showed he is coming around very nicely by leading out the gallop and winning. The other two riders were unable to get past the Tour de France champion despite his heavy contribution to the workload needed to keep the trio clear.
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In the end, the massive peloton was just four seconds back at the finish. However, with yesterday’s prologue TT winner Luke Durbridge (GreenEdge) being dropped on the final climb, the yellow jersey moves to Bradley Wiggins.
The Team Sky rider was second to Durbridge in the prologue yesterday, losing the stage by just one second. He won this race overall last year and is aiming to repeat that this time around. He now leads Evans on GC by one second, with Grivko third at two seconds.
Dan Martin is now 172nd on GC, some 17:07 adrift of leader Wiggins. He will at least have the consolation of knowing that today’s time loss will give him some leeway to get in some breakaways and go for a stage win when the race hits the mountains, once he is in a position to continue after his fall today.
Stage 1
1. EVANS Cadel BMC RACING TEAM 4h 36' 21"
2. COPPEL Jérôme SAUR-SOJASUN
3. KASHECHKIN Andrey ASTANA
4. BOUHANNI Nacer FDJ-BIGMAT @4 secs
5. GALLOPIN Tony RADIOSHACK-NISSAN
6. BOZIC Borut ASTANA
7. CIOLEK Gerald OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP
8. SIMON Julien SAUR-SOJASUN
9. RATTO Daniele LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE
10. HAGEN Edvald Boasson SKY PROCYCLING
172. MARTIN Daniel GARMIN - BARRACUDA @16:39
General Classification
1. WIGGINS Bradley SKY PROCYCLING 4:43:04
2. EVANS Cadel 11 BMC RACING TEAM @1 sec
3. GRIVKO Andriy 25 ASTANA PRO TEAM @2secs
4. BARREDO Carlos 182 RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM @2secs
5. MARTIN Tony 161 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP @4secs
6. MARTENS Paul 184 RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM @4secs
7. CHAVANEL Sylvain 162 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP @5secs
8. COPPEL Jérôme 191 SAUR-SOJASUN @6secs
9. AMADOR Andrey 152 MOVISTAR TEAM @6secs
10. HAGEN Edvald Boasson 3 SKY PROCYCLING @6secs
172. MARTIN Daniel 125 GARMIN - BARRACUDA 17:07
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