Irishman Dan Martin attacked early on the Mur-de-Bretagne to solo to an impressive victory on the sixth stage of Tour de France today.
Having finishing second on the same stage in 2015 after leaving his surge too late, Martin wasn’t going to make the same mistake and went with around 500m to go.
UAE Team Emirates’ Dan Martin won the sixth stage of the Tour de France atop Mur-de-Bretagne today. Pictured here were the peloton during stage five. Photo: ASO/Pauline Ballet
He was initially chased by Sky’s Geraint Thomas, but the Brit was unable to bring him back. AG2R La Mondiale’s Pierre Latour then made his move on the opposite side of the road but was only able to close the gap to one second at the finish line for second place on the day.
Many’s favourite for the stage, Alejandro Valverde, got the better of Julian Alaphilippe for third – three seconds in adrift.
The points leader, Peter Sagan, was eighth, further strengthening his grip on the competition after his closest challenger, Fernando Gaviria, was left behind on the course alongside most of the other sprinters.
The biggest loser on the day was Tom Dumoulin, who punctured just over five kilometres from the finish and was unable to reintegrate the leading group.
Frenchman Roman Bardet also lost some time to the leaders after suffering a mechanical late on the stage.
Belgian Greg van Avermaet (BMC) maintains the lead in the overall standings in 22:35:46. He is trailed three seconds later by Thomas and five seconds by teammate and American Tejay van Garderen.
View more results below.
Stage six
1. Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates 04:13:43
2. Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale +0:00:01
3. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team +0:00:03
4. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors
5. Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
6. Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott
7. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
8. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
9. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
10. Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo
*Selected
18. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky +0:00:08
51. Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott +0:01:16
93. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data +0:03:59
133. Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data +0:11:14
General classification
1. Greg van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 22:35:46
2. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky +0:00:03
3. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team +0:00:05
4. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors +0:00:06
5. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors +0:00:12
6. Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors +0:00:18
7. Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale +0:00:45
8. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team +0:00:51
9. Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe +0:00:52
10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team +0:00:53
*Selected
14. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky +0:01:02
51. Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott +0:06:03
79. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data +0:11:25
168. Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data +0:42:25
