Published on : 09/10/2020
The Spanish rider was part of the group of chasers that animated the end of the stage. He finished in the 5th place, his second 'top 5' since the beginning of the Tour. Guillaume Martin, supported by his teammates throughout the day, keeps his 3rd place in the general classification.
In the last 30 kilometers of the longest stage of the Tour (218 km), between Chauvigny and Sarran, the riders started to attack. About ten experienced riders, including Spanish vice-champion Jesus Herrada, tried to catch up with the day's big winner, Marc Hirschi.
The Spanish rider from the Cofidis team did not disappoint us, crossing the line in the 5th place. Less than a week after taking 2nd place at the top of Mont Aigoual, Jesus thus confirmed he is in great shape at the moment.
Guillaume Martin stay on the top
Guillaume Martin was the man of the moment. Of course, he lost time at the beginning of the stage due to a fall in the middle of the peloton in Chauvigny, the starting town. "I didn't fall, I just had to put my foot down," he said. Then the leader of the Cofidis team quickly regained his place in the peloton. He finished the stage with his teammates.
Guillaume Martin finished his 6th consecutive stage at the 3rd place in the general classification. Even better, he hasn't left the "top 5" for 10 days in a row. He will need to keep his concentration tomorrow, especially since the stage between Châtel-Guyon and Puy Mary should be very intense. Six passes are on the program before the final climb, which is unprecedented, 5.4 km long at an average of 8.1%. It looks promising!
THEY SAID...
Guillaume MARTIN (3rd in the general): "I
t was a good day. I don't know if I can say that I've recovered because it’s been a long stage. In any case, I stayed safe and, as I repeat every day, I was extremely well protected by my teammates. We were always at the front of the peloton, always vigilant. Jesus (Herrada) was able to integrate the breakaway and aim for a stage victory. That was also the objective of the day. For us, it remains a very good day".
Jesus HERRADA (5th of the stage):
"My intention was to join the breakaway today. In the beginning, there wasn't a big breakaway, because some teams wanted to control the race. The objective was to protect Guillaume (Martin) in the best possible way. And in the last climb, I tried to catch up with Marc Hirschi with a group of riders. But he was unbeatable today! Still I am very satisfied with my performance and I will do everything I can tomorrow to help Guillaume as much as possible".