The 30-year-old Martin, a three-time world time trial champion who finished second behind Rohan Dennis in the opening stage’s time trial, finally got the yellow jersey he craves and fell into the arms of his teammates after the stage. Countryman John Degenkolb finished second and Slovak Peter Sagan was third.

“I missed the yellow by a few seconds [on] the first day, I was super upset that I missed it. All the pressure of the last days has come off,” Martin said. “I was really on the limit. I got round the last corner and I was surprised I could make it.”

With the time bonuses from his stage win, he leads Froome by 12 seconds and American rider Tejay Van Garderen by 25 seconds.

“Everyone pushed me so, so much to make this dream come true,” Martin said after clinching his fifth career Tour stage win. “I’m so proud of this team. They supported me and I gave it back.”

Defending Tour champion Vincenzo Nibali, who built last year’s win on the back of a brilliant performance on the slippery cobbles, tried repeatedly to crack Froome’s resistance over the seven paved sections.

But Froome, who crashed out of last year’s Tour on the fifth stage after three falls in two days, held his nerve well.

He overcame one nervous moment when he almost lost control of his bike on the road, but having come through some stress-filled days of racing unscathed, his confidence is growing as he bids to win back the title he won in 2013. He leads Alberto Contador by 36 seconds; Nibali by 1:38 and Nairo Quintana by 1:56.

After Monday’s dramatic spill, riders hardly relished the cobbles dotted along the 223.5-kilometre trek from Seraing and to Cambrai, as the race crossed the Meuse river in Belgium’s Walloon region before swinging back into France.

Four riders broke away near the start: Frenchmen Perrig Quemeneur and Frederic Brun, Dutchman Lieuwe Westra and Belgian rider Thomas De Gendt.

The riders rolled over the first cobbles safely.

As the pack approached the next cobble section, the dreaded rain drops began to fall. With the roads becoming more slippery, Dan Martin, Matteo Tosatto and Michele Scarponi fell taking a tight corner. They all got back in the saddle.

After losing time to Froome in stages 3 and 4, the Italian rider now had a chance to turn the tables, and his Astana teammates started to speed up at the front heading into the second cobble section.

Fans packing the sides of the small and bumpy road shouted and cheered as the dust rose and the dirt caked rider’s legs.

Nibali, Froome, Contador and Quintana all got over it safely, but others lagged behind and the main pack was split in two, while by now the front four riders had been caught.

Refusing to be intimidated by Nibali, Froome rode right next to him as they approached the third set of cobbles.

Flanked by teammate Lars Boom, Nibali launched an attack. It took Froome by surprise, but he riposted quickly.

Section 4 made little impact, except for a small hiccup for Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff, who had to change a punctured tire.

Approaching cobble section No. 5, Froome survived a scare when he went on the outside of Katusha rider Jacopo Guarnieri, who squeezed him for space. With his bike wobbling dangerously to the right, Froome steadied it just enough to prevent a fall.

Pushing hard from the front, Nibali was keeping the pressure on, but still had not gained any time on Froome after the fifth set of cobbles.

That left Nibali with two more cobble sections, to make a difference.

The sixth, 3.7 kilometres from Fontaine-au-Tertre to Quievy, was the longest. It cost French rider Thibaut Pinot valuable time after he sustained a puncture and waited for a tyre change.

Nibali had one more chance on the final cobbled section – 2.3 kilometres  – but Froome showed his strength again.

Wednesday’s mostly flat fifth stage, over 189.5 kilometres (117.5 miles) will be a welcome relief after a demanding few days.