He did look like a rider that didn't want to take the risks any more that day on the gravel but his best grand tour finish was only last year so he's going out still pretty much at the top.
A couple of monuments is a great return on a career - not many British born riders who top that.
Classy rider. I wish he’d focused more on the one day races.
Well the one day races he was good in were those that typically cross over well with gc climbers. They were also getting dominated by Valverde...
I think he's got an excellent palmares, all things considered
“Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”
I still have this picture on the wall in my bike shed. Not easy to attain a place on that wall but I’ve always had a soft spot for Dan. Brilliant attitude, superb cyclist and just a great bloke. I’m glad he’s going out whilst he’s still competitive and on his own terms.
A gutsy rider who's had a great career: stage wins and top 10 overalls in every GT, two monument wins and 5 other podiums, lots of other good wins. Most riders would bite your hand off for that palmares.
Really pleased to see him go out on his terms at a time that's right for him and his family.
It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
His rinsing of Fuglsang at the end of the 2013 Tour stage (the one with all the chaos, where Froome was isolated, Kennaugh went into the trees, and Movistar were, well, Movistar) remains a highlight.
His rinsing of Fuglsang at the end of the 2013 Tour stage (the one with all the chaos, where Froome was isolated, Kennaugh went into the trees, and Movistar were, well, Movistar) remains a highlight.
That was a stage .... Froome never should have won That tour . Valverde not sacrificing himself attacking on the flat to let nairo man counter on the climb .... I remember that Dan Martin move after nairo couldn't drop froome How is froome still in the jersey was my comment at the time
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
If you watch his LBL and his Lombardi wins, they're a really good example of how to ride those races tactically.
Of all the skills he had, I think the best was his ability to attack at the right moment. Quite a few of his wins have come from that.
I really rated his day-race-brain and I wish he'd not done them on the side and had the GT efforts as his priority, as his legs didn't really allow him to use that brain much.
It would have been nice if just once he had been well positioned on the Mur at Fleche. He was routinely one of the fastest but coming from about ten rows back
If you watch his LBL and his Lombardi wins, they're a really good example of how to ride those races tactically.
Of all the skills he had, I think the best was his ability to attack at the right moment. Quite a few of his wins have come from that.
I really rated his day-race-brain and I wish he'd not done them on the side and had the GT efforts as his priority, as his legs didn't really allow him to use that brain much.
I would say he lost more than he won by quite often going too early though (or too late as Rich says).
Not surprised. Was never really a GT contender, but loved watching him ride.
I saw an interview with him at the end of a dodgy GT stage this year, can't remember which one, but he basically said he wasn't prepared to risk it anymore, that he didn't need to do this sh*te anymore...he was proper p*seed off. I remember thinking at the time oooh, that sounds like a man who doesn't care if he gets fired, seeing as his bosses were probably watching.
Always thought Dan Martin was just a little bit too good to have got the results he deserved. If he'd been less dangerous people would have given him a bit more slack, and he'd have won more. The first sign something was going on in a stage was often Dan Martin starting to sniff around - glad he's getting to walk out of the sport on his own terms and not feeling like there's anything left to do out on the road.
Always thought Dan Martin was just a little bit too good to have got the results he deserved. If he'd been less dangerous people would have given him a bit more slack, and he'd have won more. The first sign something was going on in a stage was often Dan Martin starting to sniff around - glad he's getting to walk out of the sport on his own terms and not feeling like there's anything left to do out on the road.
15 of his 22 wins were Pro-tour or World tour level.
As a contrast (not to pick on him, just someone who came to mind) Tyler Farrar had 11 PT / WT wins out of 33 pro wins.
Dan didn't win that often, but tended to win big.
As an aside, I wonder if he'll ride Paris-Roubaix - he said after the cobbled stage in 2018 Tour he'd enjoyed it (sort of) and would maybe give it a go one day. It would be nearly the last race of his career (assuming he goes to Lombardi the following week).
Always thought Dan Martin was just a little bit too good to have got the results he deserved. If he'd been less dangerous people would have given him a bit more slack, and he'd have won more. The first sign something was going on in a stage was often Dan Martin starting to sniff around - glad he's getting to walk out of the sport on his own terms and not feeling like there's anything left to do out on the road.
15 of his 22 wins were Pro-tour or World tour level.
As a contrast (not to pick on him, just someone who came to mind) Tyler Farrar had 11 PT / WT wins out of 33 pro wins.
Dan didn't win that often, but tended to win big.
As an aside, I wonder if he'll ride Paris-Roubaix - he said after the cobbled stage in 2018 Tour he'd enjoyed it (sort of) and would maybe give it a go one day. It would be nearly the last race of his career (assuming he goes to Lombardi the following week).
Yeah they never let him go from far out
Has Dan ever won a stage race?
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
Yes... route de sud and catalunya... And tour of Poland?
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
That hilly saw tooth lappy stage they always put in I guess
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
Posts
A couple of monuments is a great return on a career - not many British born riders who top that.
All credit to him. Lets see a famous victory in Bodmin please!
- @ddraver
I think he's got an excellent palmares, all things considered
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
Really pleased to see him go out on his terms at a time that's right for him and his family.
How is froome still in the jersey was my comment at the time
Of all the skills he had, I think the best was his ability to attack at the right moment. Quite a few of his wins have come from that.
I really rated his day-race-brain and I wish he'd not done them on the side and had the GT efforts as his priority, as his legs didn't really allow him to use that brain much.
I saw an interview with him at the end of a dodgy GT stage this year, can't remember which one, but he basically said he wasn't prepared to risk it anymore, that he didn't need to do this sh*te anymore...he was proper p*seed off. I remember thinking at the time oooh, that sounds like a man who doesn't care if he gets fired, seeing as his bosses were probably watching.
Maybe the spark had just gone for him.
As a contrast (not to pick on him, just someone who came to mind) Tyler Farrar had 11 PT / WT wins out of 33 pro wins.
Dan didn't win that often, but tended to win big.
As an aside, I wonder if he'll ride Paris-Roubaix - he said after the cobbled stage in 2018 Tour he'd enjoyed it (sort of) and would maybe give it a go one day. It would be nearly the last race of his career (assuming he goes to Lombardi the following week).
Has Dan ever won a stage race?
(And the Junior Tour of Wales ahead of Geraint Thomas)
In 2010. He was second to Sagan the year after too
https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=19&y=2010