[Dan Martin put an end to this victory on stage 3 of the Vuelta a España with a well-timed sprint up the hill against Primos Roglic (Jumbo Visma) and Richard Calapaz (Ineos Grenadiers). The win at La Laguna Negra de Vinuesa, after a grueling day at the Vuelta, also brought Martin four seconds closer to Roglic's race lead, and the Israeli start-up nation moved into second place, five seconds behind the Jumbo rider.

However, the small step in the overall standings was overshadowed by the relief that overtook Martin at the finish line. For the past two years, he has been plagued by bad luck, crashes, and several injuries that have robbed him of his best form at the most inopportune times.

For example, the 34-year-old crashed at the Criterium du Dauphiné in August just as he was getting going, breaking his sacrum and forcing him to retire. He was still able to compete in the Tour de France a few weeks later, but there was no sign of him fighting in the mountains. The Tour was the catalyst for him to get back on track, and his 5th place at La Flèche Wallonne and 11th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège showed that he was in good shape for the Vuelta, but his performance in the Vuelta took him to another level. He was third in the opening stage in Allate and third in Lecumbelli the next day, but on the final climb to La Laguna Negra, there was no room for error and no rivals to match his speed. Ineos Grenadiers was the pacemaker on the final climb, and after a series of attacks, a group of nearly 10 riders rounded the final corner, with Martín taking the lead with just under 200 meters to go. With less than 200 meters to go, Martin took the lead. Roglic responded, looking for his second stage win, but with Martin maintaining his pace to the end, there was nothing left for the Tour de France runner-up. I was so close to winning this year," he said. I wanted to win a stage for this team. Our sponsors have supported us all the way through COVID. The owners, Sylvan Adams and Ron Baron, never took any pay cuts. That kept the team motivated to train harder during the lockdown," Martin said at the finish line. I didn't win a stage because of my injury in the Tour, but today I scored a stage win. Everyone on the team was amazing and each and every one of them contributed to the victory. This victory is for them and also for my wife. This is my first win since the birth of my children, so it's really special," added an emotional Martin. Stage 4 is a rare opportunity for sprinters, but Thursday's results show that Martin is in the best shape he has been in years. In a race where the time triallists have less distance to cover, he had a great chance to end the year by finishing in the top five of the Grand Tour for the first time in his long career.