Dan Martin shines at Tour de France as illness forces Alberto Contador to quit

Dan Martin gave the performance of his career on stage nine of the Tour de France yesterday on a incredible day where he climbed to third overall.

The Etixx-QuickStep man came into the stage 17 seconds down on overnight leader Chris Froome (Team Sky) but went on the attack in the closing kilometres of the journey from Vielha in the Spanish Pyrenees to his adopted home of Andorra-Arcalis.

Martin was 14th across the line in his group of six, all of whom must now be regarded as the front-runners for the yellow jersey in this year’s race.