CYCLING:DANIEL MARTIN is riding solidly in the Vuelta a España but said yesterday evening that he was frustrated with one aspect of the race this week. The Irish pro was given a 40-second time penalty after Wednesday's stage to Valdepeñas de Jaén, with the commissaires deciding to dock him time after he chased back on after a stop.
“I got a 40-second time penalty, but don’t understand their thinking,” he said.
“It is to do with riding behind the team car for a bit, but I was coming back from a nature break. Normally it is overlooked but yesterday they decided to penalise me for it.
“I’d understand it if I was behind the car for five kilometres or holding onto it, but I was there for about a minute.”
While sheltering behind a car is officially not allowed, commissaires often turn a blind eye when it is done when returning from a puncture, crash or toilet stop.
“It’s very frustrating and we tried to appeal it, but they wouldn’t listen to us,” said Martin.
He finished a superb third on Tuesday’s mountain stage to Sierra Nevada but was back in 32nd on the following day’s uphill ramp to the line.
“I had a bad day,” he explained. “We stayed at altitude on Tuesday night and I hardly slept – it affects me that way.”
Yesterday’s stage was won by the rider who won the recent Tour of Poland ahead of Martin, Peter Sagan.
He outsprinted Pablo Lastras (Movistar), plus his own Liquigas-Cannondale team-mates Valerio Agnoli, Vincenzo Nibali and Eros Capecchi into Cordoba. They went clear on the descent off the final climb.
Race leader David Moncoutie (Cofidis) finished in a ten-man chase 17 seconds back, keeping his lead, while Irish duo Nicolas Roche (Ag2r la Mondiale) and Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) came home in a larger group. They placed 32nd and 37th respectively, 23 seconds back.
Martin is now 22nd, one minute 50 behind Chavanel, with Roche three seconds further back in 23rd. The race continues today with a mainly flat 185 kilometre race to Talavera de la Reina.
In other news, the Irish hill climb championships will take place this evening at Kilmashogue Lane, near Rathfarnham in Co Dublin. Defending champion Ryan Sherlock (Sportactive) will be last to start the timed event, which will see the riders tackle a gradient averaging ten per cent and hitting 16 per cent in places.
The competition begins at 7pm and spectators are welcome.
Elsewhere, a huge turnout of riders is lined up to take part in the An Post Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford this weekend. Over 4,000 will participate in the event, including An Taoiseach Enda Kenny. There are routes of 50, 90 and 160 kilometres in Sunday’s main event, with a family spin of ten kilometres taking place tomorrow.
IRISH TEAM(for World Downhill Championships, Switzerland Aug 29 – Sept 4): Ben Reid, Greg Callaghan, Senan O'Riordan and Scott Laughland (senior), Dan Sheridan, Christopher McGlinchy and Gavin Carroll (junior).
