IRISH RIDER Dan Martin of the Garmin-Sharp team won the fourth stage of the Tour of Catalonia in impressive fashion today, seizing the overall race lead in the process.
Martin broke clear with nearly eight kilometres remaining of the 217.7km stage — the longest of the race — through the Pyrenees to the ski station of Port-Aine. He finished 36 seconds clear of Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez of the Katusha team, with Colombia’s Nairo Quintana, winner of the third stage, in third place.
Martin now leads in the overall standings from Rodriguez, with Quintana third.
Last year’s Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins came in sixth on the day and is fourth overall. Overnight leader Alejandro Valverde was forced to abandon after an accident 119 kilometres into the stage.
