Martin & Roche among very best on Dauphiné summit finish

Dan Martin shows the strain as he battles towards the summit finish line at Critérium du Dauphiné, where he and Nicolas Roche were among the very best (Photo: Sirotti)

By Brian Canty

Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin both delivered stunning performances on this afternoon's fifth stage of the Criterium due Dauphine to leap into the top 10 overall.

Having started the day outside the top 20 - some 35 and 43 seconds respectively down on overnight leader Ronan Dennis - the Irish cousins are now up to 8th and 10th and within striking distance of the podium.

Martin is the higher placed of the two at 1:16 after really baring his teeth today, crossing the line in 11th place some 63 seconds behind stage winner Romain Bardet (Ag2r LA Mondiale).

The Cannondale-Garmin man showed that despite a lack of racing this year he's still able to contend with the best and that augers extremely well for next month's Tour de France.

Prior to today's stage from Digne-les-Bains to Pra-Loup he told stickybottle he had "no idea" how is form was as the four stages prior to today were merely shadow boxing in advance of this afternoon's punch-up on the hilly run to the finish atop Pra-Loup.

"I'm feeling pretty good but I can feel the lack of racing," said Martin.

"But at the same time most guys are in the same boat here; thinking about the Tour next month and as such, the racing has a bit of a strange pattern."

Nicolas Roche struggles over the finish line atop Pra Loup after a fantastic ride on a tough closing climb (Photo: Sirotti)

Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) claimed one of his biggest ever wins and he'll go to the Tour next month full of confidence.

The flyweight Frenchman attacked on the descent of the second last climb of the day, the category one-ranked Col d’Allos, and held his lead to Pra Loup.

American Tejay van Garderen (BMC) moved into the leader’s jersey after he countered a late Chris Froome (Team Sky) attack to finish second, picking up six bonus seconds in the process.

Froome won't be too concerned by that as there are still three stages to go and the manner in which his team rode for him - including Roche and Philip Deignan - will be of great comfort to him.

The Kenyan-born Brit is 5th at 41 seconds.

Roche crossed the line absolutely spent after a monster effort. He was 1:20 down on Bardet in 13th as is now 1:25 down overall.

Deignan lost over 13 minutes but he too can reflect on a job well done.

Tomorrow's stage is another brute and takes the riders 183 kilometres from Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur to Villard-de-Lans - Vercors.

There are four category three climbs, a category two and a category one en route but with a short and sharp finish - 2.2 kilometres at 6.5 per cent - it could be perfect for a punchy rider like Martin to target.