Dan Martin wins queen stage of Catalunya

Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) capped off a dramatic day of racing in the Volta a Catalunya's queen stage with a solo victory on the Port Ainé-Rialp summit finish which propelled the Irishman into the overall race lead. Martin was the sole survivor of a large, 23-man escape which formed after about an hour of racing on the 217.7km route that began in Llanars-Vall de Camprodon and concluded on an 18.9km hors catégorie ascent.

2010 Volta a Catalunya champion Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and stage 3 winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar) emerged from the chase group on the finishing climb to finish second and third on the stage, both 36 seconds behind Martin.

Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto Belisol), who attacked earlier on the final ascent but was caught and passed by Rodriguez and Quintana inside the final kilometre, finished fourth at 47 seconds. Robert Gesink (Blanco), also on the attack with Van den Broeck, crossed the line in fifth at 51 seconds while Bradley Wiggins (Sky) led in a small group for sixth at 1:02.

Overnight leader Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), along with teammate Eros Capecchi, crashed midway through the stage and both abandoned the race.

Martin now leads the Volta a Catalunya general classification by 10 seconds over Joaquim Rodriguez and 32 seconds ahead of Nairo Quintana.

The Volta a Catalunya faced its longest and most arduous day in the saddle on stage four featuring five categorised climbs throughout the mountainous, 217.7km parcours. The two most difficult ascents, a pair of hors catégorie climbs, were reserved for the stage finale with first the Port del Cantó at 172.3km followed by the final climb to the finish at Port Ainé-Rialp, whose 18.9km route into the snow line and 2,000 metre elevation averaged 6.5 percent with a maximum gradient of 12 percent.

The stage's opening climb, the category 3-rated Coll de Merolla at 40.9km, provided the springboard for a large escape group to form. Ultimately, 23 riders would go out on the attack including Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Ag2R La Mondiale), Fabio Aru (Astana Pro Team), Laurens Ten Dam and Steven Kruijswijk (Blanco Pro Cycling Team), Ivan Santaromita (BMC Racing Team), mountains classification leader Cristiano Salerno (Cannondale Pro Cycling), Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Laurent Pichon (FDJ), Ryder Hesjedal and Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp), Alberto Losada Alguacil and Yury Trofimov (Katusha), Jurgen Van de Walle (Lotto Belisol), Jesus Herrada Lopez (Movistar Team), Gianluca Brambilla and Carlos Verona (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Robert Kiserlovski (RadioShack Leopard), Danny Pate (Sky Procycling), Nicolas Roche (Team Saxo-Tinkoff), Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team), David Arroyo Duran (Caja Rural) plus Yoann Bagot and Rudy Molard (Cofidis, Solutions Credits).

Daniel Martin was the highest-placed rider on general classification in the break, starting the day in ninth overall at 30 seconds behind overnight leader Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), and was accompanied by a strong ally in teammate Ryder Hesjedal. Valverde's teammate Jesus Herrada, 20th overall at 57 seconds, policed the escape for Movistar, while other highly placed riders included Fabio Aru (Astana) at 58 seconds and Carlos Betancur (AG2R La Mondiale) at 1:25.

As Movistar set tempo in the peloton, Salerno went to work in the break to consolidate his mountains classification lead and the Italian led the escape group over the day's first three KOMs.

While Movistar held the break in check at 2:30, disaster struck for the Spanish ProTeam as both race leader Alejandro Valverde and teammate Eros Capecchi crashed on a narrow, technical descent 119km into the stage. While initial reports listed the pair as not having sustained serious injuries, both withdrew from the race. Eleven riders started the day within 35 seconds of Valverde, with Bradley Wiggins (Sky) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) tied on time at four seconds in second and third overall, and now the leader's jersey was up for grabs.

The peloton's chase momentarily lost impetus as riders awaited word on the condition of Valverde, and the break's advantage subsequently grew to more than four minutes.

The day's penultimate ascent, the hors catégorie Port del Cantó, saw the break begin to splinter with 2012 Giro d'Italia champion Ryder Hesjedal setting the pace for teammate Daniel Martin. Meanwhile, Sky took over the pace-making duties in the peloton and reduced the break's advantage to inside of three minutes.

Nearing the Port del Cantó summit, Nicolas Roche went out on the attack from the break while the Sky-led peloton had been whittled down to approximately 50 riders.

Port Ainé-Rialp finale

Roche would continue his solo effort through to the beginning of the concluding ascent where we was caught by Betancur, Santaromita, Martin, Losada, Herrada and Kiserlovski while the peloton had reduced its deficit to the leaders to approximately one minute for the 18.9km climb to the finish.

Martin began to force the pace and with 14km remaining he only had Herrada and Kiserlovski for company. The RadioShack Leopard Croatian soon lost contact leaving the Irishman and Spaniard together at the front.

Robert Gesink (Blanco) attacked from the Sky-led peloton and was soon joined by Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto Belisol). Wiggins had super-domestiques David Lopez and Rigoberto Uran setting tempo in the ever-decreasing peloton and approaching the steepest section of the ascent with 9km remaining their deficit to Martin and Herrada stood at 1:20 with Gesink and Van den Broeck in between.

Inside of 8km remaining Martin dispatched of Herrada and continued to tap out a steady rhythm in the lead. Van den Broeck dropped Gesink while Wiggins only had Uran left to set the pace in the chase group of approximately 20 riders. Joaquim Rodriguez and four Katusha teammates were tucked in behind the Sky duo and when Uran ultimately cracked with 4km to go Katusha took over the pursuit of Martin, Van den Broeck and Gesink.

At 3km to go Nairo Quintana attacked the chase group and the Colombian was soon joined by Katusha captain Joaquim Rodriguez. Martin was showing the strain of his effort at the head of the race, but continued to maintain his lead while Quintana and Rodriguez caught and passed both Gesink and Van den Broeck near the flamme rouge.

Martin continued his solo effort along the snow-lined ascent and capped off a remarkable ride with both the stage victory and leader's jersey. Rodriguez led Quintana across the finish line for second at 36 seconds and with time bonuses factored in the 26-year-old Irishman now leads Rodriguez by 10 seconds and Quintana by 32 seconds on general classification.