Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) continued his fine end to the season by bagging Tour of Beijing stage four victory on Miaofeng Mountain.

The Irishman, winner of the Giro di Lombardia eight days earlier, attacked from an elite leading group inside the final 500 metres to pip Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEDGE).

Second on the same mountain 12 months earlier – on his way to second overall – Martin kicked hard with a stunning turn of speed and accelerated again to seal victory, one which owed much to the earlier work of team-mate Ryder Hesjedal.

Red jersey Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) finished third, however, edging out Rui Costa to the final bonus seconds, to ensure he retains a slender lead overall heading into the final, pan flat circuit of stage five.

It came at the climax of another fast stage, with a furious pace set from the off as the day’s early moves were checked by the peloton.

With the race still together at the first intermediate sprint, Gilbert attempted to consolidate his lead but was foiled by Luka Mezgec (Giant-Shimano), Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Steele von Hoff (Garmin-Sharp).

Still no break was established, however, until a four-man move finally earned a small gap after more than 20 kilometres of racing.

Julien Vermote (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Boris Vallee (Lotto-Belisol), Guillaume Boivin (Cannondale) and Graeme Brown (Belkin) were the men to go clear, the quartet stretching their lead towards four minutes as the peloton eased.

With the mountainous terrain to help their chase, BMC Racing hit the front but with no real urgency as the four men up the road contested the intermediate sprints and climbs.

Vermote worked to protect team-mate Michal Golas’ King of the Mountains lead, while further back BMC Racing, Garmin-Sharp and Lampre-Merida hit the front.

A slow pace clearly suited Gilbert and BMC Racing and, even as the pace went up on the run-in to the penultimate climb, Rick Zabel, Martin Kohler and Yannick Eijssen remained unperturbed as they led the American team.

In the break, Vermote quickly established himself as the strongest of the four, with Brown sitting up shortly before they crested the penultimate climb.

BMC Racing continued to burn men on the front, with Gilbert and Samuel Sanchez their two protected riders, while the other contenders sent team-mates to the fore.

Garmin-Sharp seized the initiative, Tyler Farrar and Thomas Dekker putting in some huge digs as the sprinters started to toil at the back as Miaofeng Mountain approached.

Seen from the off as a pivotal stage, Costa and Martin were at the fore on the same climb 12 months earlier when the Portuguese ace’s then Movistar team-mate Benat Intxausti won.

It was little surprise, therefore, to see the two well placed in the front group this time out as the peloton was whittled down to size on the fierce ascent – both men seeing team-mates make digs off the front to boost their cause.

Filippo Pozzato’s pace was such for Lampre-Merida, he earned a small, unintentional gap as all but Vermote were swept up from the original break.

The attacks kept coming, but Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) hit the front to keep proceedings in order for the red jersey as a fading Vermote was brought back.

Louis Vervaeke (Lotto-Belisol) earned a small lead on a peloton now halved in size, with Team Sky joining the fun on the front, joined by Omega Pharma-Quickstep and riders from Garmin-Sharp, Lampre-Merida and the remaining BMC Racing pace-setters.

A strong headwind meant anyone attempting to get a gap soon found themselves in difficulty, but the pace was still too high at the back as Intxausti’s disappointing week continued with him being dropped.

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) was next to attack, prompting a response from Dario Cataldo (Team Sky) on the front.

The Canadian’s move stuck, however, having the desired effect for the team as riders were spilled out the back – Jesus Herrada (Movistar) among them.

Cataldo’s spirited pursuit kept Hesjedal in sight but the gap hovered around the 15-second mark as the Italian swung off.

The counter-attacks were launched almost immediately, Riccardo Zoidl (Trek Factory Racing) hauling a Colombian triumvirate with him off the front of team-mate Julian Arredondo, Chaves and Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quickstep).

The Colombians could not catch Zoidl’s wheel, however, with Pieter Serry next to attempt to make the junction, catching Zoidl but refusing to work.

It played into the hands of what remained of the chasing group, on the front of which Orica-GreenEDGE’s Pieter Weening was burying himself with Chaves and Simon Yates still tucked in behind him.

Costa, Martin, Gilbert and Sanchez also remained safe as Hesjedal was finally caught after a big effort by the former Olympic champion with two kilometres remaining.

Sanchez continued to lead the way under the flamme rouge but as they hit a section of tailwind, Martin burst from behind him and accelerated hard.

Chaves spotted the danger and bridged but no other rider could match the Irishman, as he launched what was effectively a long, uphill sprint.

He opened up a gap on what remained of the front group, with Costa and Gilbert responding and Chaves continuing to cling to his wheel.

Martin’s pace was simply too much for the Colombian, however, who faded with the finish line in sight.

Gilbert launched a late sprint from behind to cut the deficit but he could do nothing to stop Martin taking the stage.

Two seconds later, the Belgian crossed the line – marginally behind Chaves but, crucially, ahead of the frustrated Costa.

It meant a four-second time bonus for Gilbert which proved just sufficient to keep him in red ahead of the final stage.

Stage winner Martin, courtesy of his own ten-second bonus, now trails by just three seconds overall with the intermediate sprints likely set to be decisive if the Irishman hopes to end the year with a double victory.

Julian Arredondo led a group across the line, ten seconds after Martin, with Uran, Warren Barguil (Giant-Shimano), Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Sergey Chernetckii (Katusha) with him and David Lopez trailing just behind.

The stage belonged to Martin, however, who now appears the only man capable of stopping Philippe Gilbert from claiming his first ever WorldTour stage race success.

Tour of Beijing 2014: stage four – result

1) Daniel Martin (IRL) – Garmin-Sharp – 4.12.14hrs
2) Johan Esteban Chaves (COL) – Orica-GreenEDGE +2”
3) Philippe Gilbert (BEL) – BMC Racing – ST
4) Rui Costa (POR) – Lampre-Merida
5) Julian Arredondo (COL) – Trek Factory Racing +10”
6) Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) –Ag2r-La Mondiale – ST
7) Warren Barguil (FRA) – Giant-Shimano
8) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep
9) Sergey Chernetckii (RUS) – Katusha
10) David Lopez (ESP) – Team Sky +13”

General classification

1) Philippe Gilbert (BEL) – BMC Racing – 15.19.47hrs
2) Daniel Martin (IRL) – Garmin-Sharp +3”
3) Johan Esteban Chaves (COL) – Orica-GreenEDGE +9”
4) Rui Costa (POR) – Lampre-Merida +11”
5) Sergey Chernetckii (RUS) – Katusha +23”
6) Warren Barguil (FRA) – Giant-Shimano – ST
7) Julian Arredondo (COL) – Trek Factory Racing
8) Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale
9) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep
10) Pieter Serry (BEL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep +26”