DANIEL MARTIN TOUR DIARY:Yesterday didn't give me the result I was looking for – but if the legs hold up I'll give it another go today

SEVENTH ON perhaps the toughest stage of the Tour; it’s not quite the result I was looking for, but it is a case of no regrets. I look forward, not back, and if the legs are there today, I’ll try again.

I originally said that I probably wouldn’t get in the early break yesterday but I was feeling good and I went for it. I was right in front when the move went, in a group of seven or eight, and then another big group came up to us. I actually thought it was the peloton, but I looked around and realised it was just a huge group and that the rest of the bunch wasn’t there.

It was a strange situation to be in a move that size, but it made for a relatively easy ride until the day’s second climb, the Col du Tourmalet.

Perhaps I got a bit excited on the Tourmalet, but I was feeling really good at the time and I have no regrets about pushing hard on the climb. I was super confident in how I was feeling, maybe a bit over confident. I wanted to see who was strong on the day, who to follow. There were a hell of a lot of really strong bike riders in the breakaway, I put in a bit of an acceleration, and I dragged a few riders clear.

Some others came back to us after a while and then I moved forward again. My legs were still very good and I attacked with Thomas Voeckler, the eventual stage winner, and Brice Feillu, who won a stage in 2009. We rode hard together and then after a few kilometres I kind of reached my limits. I was hyperventilating a bit, maybe because of the altitude.

I didn’t bank on the two French guys attacking so hard. I really killed myself to try to stay with them as I knew that moment was a crucial one for the stage win.

I tried to get a bit of recovery by pulling through a couple of times and slowing them down a bit, but I don’t think that went down too well! They accelerated again and while I pushed hard to hold them, the gap opened. That ended up being a decisive split.

We were getting close to the top of the climb at that point. I kept going as hard as I could, holding them at about 20 seconds until about the last kilometre. If I could limit my losses, I thought I’d be able to get them back on the downhill.

However I just stopped dead, the energy running out, and they moved further ahead.

It meant that I really paid for my efforts later in the race. I got caught by a couple of guys after the downhill and when they attacked on the Aspin, I couldn’t follow them. Anyway, maybe if I was more conservative on the Tourmalet I could have been closer, but I have no regrets. I was trying to win the stage, that is what I was thinking of.

Another day is another opportunity, and I’m still determined to try to chase a stage. I came here for a stage win and that is still very much the aim. I am always really ambitious. The fact I have got through this Tour and am still feeling in pretty good condition is motivating.

The plan today is to see how I feel when the stage starts and take it from there. You never really know until that point, but the fact that my legs were still feeling good yesterday evening is encouraging. I didn’t feel too destroyed, unlike how I felt after the stage to La Tossuire.

If the legs are strong after the flag drops, I’ll aim to get in the breakaway again.

With the way the Tour has played out, I think the only way to take the stage win will be to be in the break. We have got a category one climb after 17 or 18 kilometres tomorrow, so things could all happen there; if so, it’s going to be a huge battle.

Looking at the weather, it is expected to be very hot again, and that can affect recovery. If it is very warm, we’ll try a little trick we use. Yesterday the team was handing me women’s tights stuffed with ice. If you put that on the back of your neck, it tricks your body into thinking it is not as hot as it is. You don’t sweat as much, it keeps your body temperature down and you don’t get as dehydrated.

Not all the teams do it, it is something that Garmin-Sharp uses. All these little things can add up, though, particularly at this point of the race.

Anyway, we’ll see how things go today. It’s the last day in the big mountains, but I do believe there’s also a chance that a break could go tomorrow. Normally you’d presume that type of stage would be for the sprinters, but their teams are really tired. If a big group goes, they will not be able to chase it back, and that could present another chance.

One thing is certain; you’ve got to keep trying in the Tour.

Twitter: @DanMartin86