Dan Martin and Marcel Kittel ready for the Tour de France start in Germany.
Dan Martin talks up Tour de France chances
Ireland's Dan Martin is in bullish form as he lines up to begin the Tour de France in Düsseldorf on Saturday.
At the QuickStep Flooring press conference today the Irishman brushed off the fact he has been assigned just one climbing domestique.
He was counting himself into the battle for yellow. And he said his record in races this year was better than anyone else’s in this Tour de France.
Martin added he had raced “like an idiot” at last year’s Tour when at the front of the race for the first time in the mountains.
“I learned a lot last year, I raced like an idiot, I made mistakes,” Martin said at a press event in Düsseldorf of his 9th place overall last year.
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“It was the first year riding GC at the Tour de France and the first time climbing in the mountains at the front in the Tour.
“I learned how it is different than the Vuelta a España and how you need to race it differently.”
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His team mate Marcel Kittel has been assigned no fewer than five dedicated lead-out men.
But Martin said he didn’t even think about not having lots of team mates for the mountains.
“There are enough teams who are going to ride very hard to the bottom of the mountains,” he said.
“For me, it’s more important to stay safe on the flat stages in the start of the Tour. Or at any time in the Tour.”
He also said his team would support him on those flatter stages. His back-up in that regard was incredible.
He believed the climbs were “so hard” this year that having a strong team was less important.
With riders like Chris Froome, Richie Porte and Nairo Quintana the superstars tipped for the top this year, Martin said everyone was beatable.
In Tour de France to aim big
“I beat them in the Dauphiné, so... I think everyone in the race is going to try to win the Tour de France. So why not go in and try and see what happens?”
And while surprised to finish 3rd overall at the recent Criterium du Dauphiné he had taken confidence from it.
“I was getting better and better every day. It gave me a big confidence-booster; not that I needed it. My worst result this year is 6th in any race I’ve done.
“I don’t think there’s anyone on the start line here at the Tour that’s got that record. If I can get to Paris with that record intact it would be a great Tour.”
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