Dan Martin

greasedscotsman

To be honest, I didn't think that Dan Martin would win a race like Liege, but where can he go from here? What other races is he capable of winning? I would say the Tour of Lombardy and single week races like the Dauphine, Romandie, that sort of thing.

Interesting that Vaughters says he's never ridden a Grand Tour for GC. But suprised about that.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughte ... ing-stance

Richmond Racer

Wasnt his first GT the '11 Vuelta? Not riding for GC of course, just the experience - same with Tour last year.

His TT'ing's not great. So unless he drastically improves that, its hilly stage races with little/no TTing.

danlikesbikes

Seems to have come on from a climber to a climber who can ride hard for 200+kms and attack on hilly courses so would say that he could do any one day & expect to be up there with the best of them. After re-watching the race on highlights was IMHO a similar attack to that of Fabs/Gilbert/Sagan just rode hard and no one could keep up with him.

Think he would go well on single week races also but guess it needs JV to give him the nod as being the number 1.

Cumulonimbus

Dan did the Vuelta in 2009 and the Giro in 2010. Think he suffered from some sort of illness/allergies in both of them though. Think he might have also been a bit off-colour at the tour last year? As far as the tour of lombardy goes he has come second there before so i'd have said he definitely has a chance of winning in the future!

Richmond Racer

Cumulonimbus wrote:

Dan did the Vuelta in 2009 and the Giro in 2010. Think he suffered from some sort of illness/allergies in both of them though. Think he might have also been a bit off-colour at the tour last year? As far as the tour of lombardy goes he has come second there before so i'd have said he definitely has a chance of winning in the future!

Ah, mea culpa for poor knowledge

Abdoujaparov

His best TT performance in recent years was 15th in Tour of Romandie last year. A better placing than I had expected, but he still lost over a minute in 16.5km. Wiggo dropped his chain that day too.

Stage 5: Crans-Montana - 16.5km ITT

1. Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), 16.5km in 28’56”
2. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Barracuda) at 1 second
3. Richie Porte (Team Sky) at 17 seconds
4. Rui Costa (Movistar) at 23 seconds
5. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) at 40 seconds
6. Sylwester Szmyd (Liquigas-Cannondale) at 42 seconds
7. Michael Rogers (Team Sky) at 43 seconds
8. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-BigMat) at 52 seconds
9. Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) at 54 seconds
10. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) at 55 seconds

15. Daniel Martin (Garmin-Barracuda) at 1 minute 8 seconds

TheBigBean

Isn't he a bit like J-Rod? Could do well in a GT like the Vuelta last year.

Tom Butcher

In the past he's never seemed able to live with the best climbers in the high mountains - I'm not saying that can't change - but when I've seen him contest the win it's generally been a hilly one day race. I think perhaps he's been seen as a second rank climber (or maybe just by me) when in fact he's a first rank rider for the hilly one day races.

I suppose the alternative is that he's just got better this year and he's going to prove himself in a grand tour too - hope so.

rick_chasey

Better off stage hunting.

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

Better off stage hunting.

How about KOM?

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Better off stage hunting.

How about KOM?

For sure.

He's a bit like Sam Sanchez. Good climber, better on tougher hills than mountains, good finish for a climber.

Pross

Seems better on the shorter, steeper hills that said wasn't his Vuelta stage win on a very long climb?

Turfle

Stage hunter, one day rider. No shame in being a really good one of those. Sure he can be up there in stage races like Catalunya, and Pais Vasco too.

danlikesbikes

Turfle wrote:

Stage hunter, one day rider. No shame in being a really good one of those. Sure he can be up there in stage races like Catalunya, and Pais Vasco too.

Stage hunter I like that phrase & think it would suit him well depending on who Garmin have as number 1 if they could also let him go do his thing.

oneof1982

Does anyone know why he cose to ride for Ireland (aprt from the obvious Uncle Stepehen)? Could have been a possible future world and olympic champion.

greasedscotsman

oneof1982 wrote:

Does anyone know why he cose to ride for Ireland (aprt from the obvious Uncle Stepehen)? Could have been a possible future world and olympic champion.

Why could have?

oneof1982

greasedscotsman wrote:

oneof1982 wrote:

Does anyone know why he chose to ride for Ireland (aprt from the obvious Uncle Stepehen)? Could have been a possible future world and olympic champion.

Why could have?

As part of a British team (more depth that Ireland/Sky machine) and given the right course?

danlikesbikes

Well would he have made it through the performance programme? From what I understand (& thats quite limited) its a small pool that make it on the programme but those that do get great support, however the downside being there are lots of talented young riders who show potential but do not get on the scheme and need to find another way to get funding to make riding a full time career.

With his uncles contacts & showing some potential am sure that cycling ireland were more than happy to support him from junior to youth through to pro.

oneof1982

Danlikesbikes wrote:

Well would he have made it through the performance programme? From what I understand (& thats quite limited) its a small pool that make it on the programme but those that do get great support, however the downside being there are lots of talented young riders who show potential but do not get on the scheme and need to find another way to get funding to make riding a full time career.

With his uncles contacts & showing some potential am sure that cycling ireland were more than happy to support him from junior to youth through to pro.

He was British Junior National Road Race Champion in 2004 and his dad Neil rode for Britain in the Olympics, though take your point about performance programme. Just wondered if anyone knew for sure.

danlikesbikes

oneof1982 wrote:

Danlikesbikes wrote:

Well would he have made it through the performance programme? From what I understand (& thats quite limited) its a small pool that make it on the programme but those that do get great support, however the downside being there are lots of talented young riders who show potential but do not get on the scheme and need to find another way to get funding to make riding a full time career.

With his uncles contacts & showing some potential am sure that cycling ireland were more than happy to support him from junior to youth through to pro.

He was British Junior National Road Race Champion in 2004 and his dad Neil rode for Britain in the Olympics, though take your point about performance programme. Just wondered if anyone knew for sure.

Clearly I don't as I didn't know that he had ridden for Britain in 2004 but I was deep into MTB at the time & not following road riding.

However the potential issues of the high performance programme have been around for a while & do it does work very well of your on it but if your not on it or perhaps come to cycling later in life there are few options around.

RichN95.

Here's an old article about the whole Dan Martin GB/Ireland thing:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... -away.html

greasedscotsman

oneof1982 wrote:

greasedscotsman wrote:

oneof1982 wrote:

Does anyone know why he chose to ride for Ireland (aprt from the obvious Uncle Stepehen)? Could have been a possible future world and olympic champion.

Why could have?

As part of a British team (more depth that Ireland/Sky machine) and given the right course?

Fair enough with the course, but if Hushovd can win the Worlds with only two team mates, I don't think the relative strength of an Irish team will rule him out of winning either race.

oneof1982

RichN95 wrote:

Here's an old article about the whole Dan Martin GB/Ireland thing:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... -away.html

Great stuff. Thanks.

andy_wrx

He's a Brummie, Brammeier is a Scouser, and Nic Roche is French...
:twisted:

andyp

You forgot that Belgian, Wiggins.

johnboy183

Cumulonimbus wrote:

Dan did the Vuelta in 2009 and the Giro in 2010. Think he suffered from some sort of illness/allergies in both of them though. Think he might have also been a bit off-colour at the tour last year? As far as the tour of lombardy goes he has come second there before so i'd have said he definitely has a chance of winning in the future!

Seem to remember something about him suffering from hay-fever type symptoms that were pretty severe in the past. Possibly had surgery to try and correct it. Was given as a reason as to why he sometimes seemed to "under-perform" and not made any of the GT squads sooner.

VeloPeloton

andyp wrote:

You forgot that Belgian, Wiggins.

Wiggins is from Kilburn, he must be Irish.

ocdupalais

I'd like to display fierce national pride, but find it really difficult and confusing what with being a nation of mongrels...
Oh well - As my grandad Gupta used to say: wot am dat watey melon...

dolan_driver

Here is a recent interview with Dan Martin from an Irish newspaper.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-s ... 44318.html

Philip Deignan also had a good win in the Tour Of Gila at the weekend. A good few weeks for the Irish Pros.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/14508 ... -Gila.aspx

DD.

Pokerface

Spent a couple day over the weekend in Ireland with Dan - both of us helping out a charity there. Had the chance to have dinner with him and his folks a few times and chat all things bikes. Genuinely down-to-earth and a pleasure to be around.

End of the charity ride:

dolan_driver

Paul Kimmage had an interview in yesterday's Sunday Independent with Dan and Neil Martin. The article has lots of interesting little stories about Neil Martin's career as a bike rider.

One of the fascinating details in the article was how Jonathan Vaughters came to select Dan Martin for Garmin. Apparently, he was looking at both Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin at more or less the same time and was considering which of the two he should offer a contract to. He based his selection in the end on mitochondria. The theory being that the mitochondrial DNA is only passed on by the female. Therefore, Dan Martin received all the good genetic stuff that runs in the Roche family from his mother Maria, who is Stephen's sister. Nicolas received Lydia Roche's mitochondrial DNA and so Vaughters made his choice based on the blood line!

DD.