'It was an unusual climb, a different climb for a race like this,' Etixx-QuickStep rider says of stage 5 finale
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Dan martin drives the pace at the front of the lead group on the final climb during stage 5 at the Criterium du Dauphine(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dan Martin and Adam Yates finish stage 5 at the Criterium du Dauphine(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Daniel Martin (Etixx QuickStep)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dan Martin rides to fourth place(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
As a former winner, Dan Martin was a pre-race favourite(Image credit: ASO)
"After the TT I knew I was in good condition on the climb so, it's nice to be able to race against those guys. When Chris went, it was like – whoa! His one-minute power is crazy, normally that's my kind of thing but I couldn’t follow it."
Martin has spent the last few weeks of training improving his stamina and endurance, with long rides at altitude. Today's climb ensured that the Irishman had to use his natural ability to raise the pace to good effect.
Martin heads into the queen stage as a genuine contender for the race. That was clear the moment Contador chased him down. The Irishman will look for the opportunity to win a stage but a high place on the overall, possibly on the podium, is also a realistic aim.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
