Dan Martin climbed to fourth place atop the Mur du Huy on the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday. The stage, billed as a mini Flèche Wallonne, included 50 kilometres and the final three climbs from the Ardennes Classic.

“The team did such a great job getting me to the final climb,” said Martin. “We got swarmed a little before the climb, but I didn’t panic because I know you don’t have to be top ten right there. By the time we hit the Mur, the guys had gotten me into a top ten position.”

“I’ve learned from riding the Classics that it’s important to stay calm,” Martin added. “I kept that in my head all day, so I took it a little easy early to save all my energy and try to win the stage on the final climbs.”

It was no easy task to keep a calm head on Monday’s stage. Nearly 40 riders were involved in a mid-race crash that caused a temporarily neutralisation of the race as all medical personnel attended to the fallers.

“It was getting crazy out there,” said Martin. “We stuck together as a team and luckily were on the other side of the crash. It was horrible to see guys go down at that speed. I hope everyone recovers okay.”

Jack Bauer was the only Cannondale-Garmin rider involved in the pile-up. He managed to escape without injury.

“I can’t say how the crash might have impacted the tactics,” said Martin. “It really did come down to the final climb. I didn’t think about anything other than trying to win. That was my only focus today.”

“I’m optimistic for the next uphill finishes,” Martin added.

The Classics-like feel to the 102nd Tour de France continues on Tuesday as stage four takes in the cobbles of Belgium and northern France. There are seven sector of pave in the 223km stage, six of each are clustered within 35km period toward the end of the stage.