UAE Team Emirates’ Martin grabs Tour stage win
Tour legend Hinault has ‘no regrets’ on Froome strike call
There was joy for UAE Team Emirates in the Tour de France as Dan Martin won the sixth stage from Brest to Mur-de-Bretagne Guerledan.
The Irishman broke for the glory and held off Pierre Latour for the victory. Alejandro Valverde took third, just ahead on Julian Alaphilippe.
It was a gruelling finish on the Mur-de-Bretagne and overall contenders Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) and Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) both lost time as BMC’s Greg van Avermaet held onto the yellow jersey.
The trip from Brest saw two big climbs and after a breakaway was caught before the final ascent Martin pulled away in the final stages to go and keep his nose in front of Latour who finished a second behind him.
Meanwhile, Tour de France legend Bernard Hinault says he does not regret calling for riders to strike in protest at Chris Froome’s participation in the race, he said yesterday.
Five-time champion Hinault made the call two weeks ago amid the fallout from Froome’s “adverse analytical finding” for the asthma drug salbutamol at last year’s Tour of Spain.
Froome was found to have twice the permissible amount of the drug on his way to winning the title last September.
The Kenyan-born Briton then went on to win the 2018 Giro d’Italia, becoming the first man to hold all three Grand Tours at once since Hinault in 1983.
Froome cleared
After months of weathering the storm relating to his salbutamol result, Froome was finally cleared to race the Tour de France by the sport’s governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) last week.
Ahead of stage six from Brest to Mur-de Bretagne Guerledan, the 63-year-old Hinault shot down suggestions he may now be regretting his call for the peloton to strike.
“Regret what I said? Never! Never! All I said was the truth of the matter, and that’s it,” said Hinault.
A winner of the 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985 Tours de France, Hinault’s outspoken manner and single-minded approach to racing earned him the nickname ‘Le Blaireau’ (The Badger).
Hinault called on Froome’s rivals to make a stand.
“If the international authorities don’t sanction him it’s up to the other cyclists to shoulder the responsibility,” Hinault said.