Ireland’s Dan Martin won Thursday’s third stage of La Vuelta 2020. The Israel Start-Up Nation rider won atop the climb to La Laguna Negra-Vinuesa, with the result moving him to within five seconds of the race leader, Primos Roglic.
Martin, who already had two third-place finishes this week, was taking his first La Veulta stage win since 2011.
Thursday’s 166km stage from Lodosa to Vinuesa featured two categorised climbs, which ultimately decided the outcome of the stage.
The Irishman accelerated inside the last 200m of the stage, out-sprinting Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers). The summit finish win was Martin’s first stage win since the 2018 Tour de France.
Dan Martin claims his second stage win on the roads of La Vuelta, 9 years after his victory in Sierra de Béjar-La Covatilla.
“I’ve come so close to winning this year. I just really wanted to win a stage for this team because they’ve been so good to me,” the emotional Irishman said.
“Obviously with the (back) injury at the Tour (de France), I couldn’t win a stage. I was really determined to win today. The team were amazing, and every single one of them played their part in the victory.
“This win is partly for them and then partly for my wife, because this is the first time I’ve won a race since my kids were born and it’s really special.”
Stage three result
1. Daniel Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation)
2. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma)
3. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers)
General classification after stage three
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 12hrs 37mins 24secs
2. Daniel Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) +5secs
3. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers +13secs
