Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors) survived a chaotic stage of the Tour de France today which saw numerous crashes and 22 riders being forced out of the race after abandoning as an aftermath of the incidents or arriving at the finish well outside the time limit. The Irish rider suffered two crashes, resulting in losing time to the other GC contenders and slipping back to 6th overall.
The breathless stage was only 181.5 kilometers in length, but was packed with seven classified climbs, three of which were Hors Catégorie – Col de la Biche, Grand Colombier and Mont du Chat – for a total of 4700 metres of vertical gain.
The three monster ascents led to countless selections, but despite the fierce tempo on the double-digit gradients and the subsequent attacks on the tricky descents, Dan Martin was at all times in control, keeping his composure even when he was briefly distanced on the day’s final climb.
But in a turn of unfortunate events, disaster struck on the final downhill of the stage, when Richie Porte (BMC) lost control of the bike on a corner and crashed hard, taking Martin with him. The Irishman had to wait for a new wheel and once he received it from the neutral service he started chasing the yellow jersey group, but another crash dented his hopes of making the catch by the end of this utterly chaotic stage.
Despite this second blow, the 30-year-old didn’t give up and after a getting a new bike from the Quick-Step Floors car, he joined a group that included Mikel Landa (Team Sky) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar), which he drove at a furious pace on the flat section leading to Chambéry, and remarkably finished only 1:15 down on winner Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac), in ninth place, after riding his heart out and showcasing his trademark never-say-die attitude.
“I was lucky when Geraint crashed, because his bike touched my handlebars, but my luck ran out at the end and couldn’t avoid Richie on the descent. It was slippery under the trees, he lost his back wheel on that corner, went on the grass and crashed hard. There was nowhere to go for me. It was a bummer to go down again because I couldn’t brake after getting a front wheel from the neutral service. On the plus side, I immediately joined a group and was soon flying over the descent. Gave everything there, rode with the other guys like it was a team time trial and tried to salvage as much as I could”, explained Martin after his all-out effort, which sees him go into the second week of the Tour de France in sixth overall.
Legend , gutsy stuff
And all people talk about is either Porte’s crash Aru’s bushleague attack or the worst the not my tour Sagan bullshit. It’s a effin shame. It’s the second tour in a row where Dan Martin is flat out ballin out there. One of my favorite riders in the peloton.
Pity the team can’t support him. On his own.
Dan Martin was as hard as nails the guts and determination to carry on in the face of escalating time cost and limiting his losses was definitely outstanding rider of the tour