DAN BLOWN AWAY
Martin falls victim to winds but Froome stays out in front
SHORTLY before yesterday’s stage, Dan Martin was being described by his uncle — the 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche — as ‘a killer’. His boss, meanwhile, was comparing him to Monty Python’s Black Knight.
Martin had certainly shown a defiant streak, recovering from a nasty crash that marked the end of Richie Porte’s race to stay in contention for this year’s Tour. He was just 72 seconds adrift of Chris Froome, having lost 75 seconds in the accident with Porte.
But Martin, 30, was a casualty again yesterday, this time of the fierce 25mph crosswinds that split the peloton and left him trailing a lead group containing the other general classification contenders by 51 seconds.
Michael Matthews won the concluding sprint, celebrating his second victory in three stages only to then complain that John Degenkolb of Germany had grabbed him by the neck moments after crossing the line. As the Australian said afterwards, the incident was seen by the race officials.
Martin said he was ‘boxed in’ when Team Sky suddenly increased the pace some 15km from the finish and it meant he lost contact. There was no way back for the affable, Birmingham-born Irishman.
He is now more than two minutes adrift of Froome, who finished safely in the front group and now goes into the Alps with Fabio Aru, Romain Bardet and Rigoberto Uran all within 29 seconds of him.
Even for a climber as talented as Martin, that gap to Froome now looks insurmountable. ‘That’s probably the yellow jersey over but we are still fighting,’ he said. ‘On the fast downhill there were almost a couple of crashes, guys swept by the wind. I had to slam the brakes a couple of times.’
The Quick-Step rider had only praise for the efforts of his team but a lack of support at that moment cost him. The 30-yearold may have to wait for another serious crack at a Grand Tour.
‘Without the crash he would be first or second,’ Brian Holm, the Quick-Step sporting director, had said earlier. ‘ You remember the Monty Python movie when the knight has his arms and legs cut off — that’s Dan. He doesn’t give up.’
Roche agreed, and identified a key difference between his own son — Nicolas is currently lying 30th — and his nephew.
‘Nicolas is the ideal son-in-law; Dan is a killer,’ said Roche. ‘Nicolas would like having a nice car and a nice watch. Dan would care about winning a race.’
But Roche said they have both benefited from his mother’s genes, with Roche revealing how the 79-year-old still enjoys riding her bike. ‘You see her aggression and the joy she has in life in both of them,’ he said.
Before yesterday’s stage that spirit was clearly evident in Martin, even if he considered Froome ‘ untouchable’ in this year’s race. ‘I’ll definitely come back in the future with more belief that the yellow jersey is possible,’ he said. ALBERTO CONTADOR of Spain, dropped yesterday as he fell victim to Team Sky’s brutal pace- setting, let it be known this will be his last Tour.
The 34-year-old, Tour winner in 2007 and 2009 but stripped of his 2010 title after failing a drugs test, may still ride next year’s Giro d’Italia.