Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) finished third overall in Sunday's Criterium du Dauphiné behind winner Dani Martiniès (EF Pro Cycling) and Grupama-FDJ's Thibaut Pinot to finish in the top 10 of this year's Tour de France He took another big step toward a top-10 finish in this year's Tour de France.

Martinez has had a great 2020 racing season, especially since pro cycling resumed after the closure due to the coronavirus, finishing third in the Mont Ventoux-Denivelle Challenge in early August, followed by the final stage of the Tour de Ain He finished fourth behind Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma), Egan Bernal (Team Ineos), and Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic).

Then 2019 Tour de France winner Bernal retired from the Dauphiné before Saturday's stage 4, Quintana retired on stage 5 with knee pain, and overnight leader Roglic did not ride stage 5 due to an injury from a crash the day before. Following a steady climb the day before, Martin entered Sunday's final stage of the Dauphiné in second place overall.

Colombian climber Martinez closed the gap to Pinot and pulled away from Pinot and Martinez to take the overall win, but Martinez caught up to Pinot on Sunday's final stage around Megève and eventually finished third overall, 41 seconds behind Martinez and 12 seconds behind Pinot!

"I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it.

"At the start of the stage, I was caught off guard by a breakaway group, but my teammates worked hard to get me back," Martínez said on the team website about the early breakaway group that included Pinot and Mikel Landa (Bahrain McLaren).

"Then when Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Martinez attacked, I wasn't so sure. 'It was a complicated situation and I was already tired and at my limit from all the effort I had put in since the race started.'

"But of course, the moment I crossed the finish line I was very satisfied. My teammates worked hard for me the whole time," said Martin, who heads to the Tour de France later this month looking to follow up last year's 12th place overall finish with a top-10 finish.

Cédric Vasseur, Cofidis team manager, added: "I'm very happy with the team's performance. This Criterium du Dauphiné was hotly contested from start to finish, and it was clear that all the participants were giving it their all. So I am very pleased with Guillaume's performance and with the team's efforts that went all week for him."

"Guillaume has shown that he is capable of competing with the best riders in the world. And this is the beginning of a big and beautiful adventure," Vasseur said.