Dan Martin looking shattered speaking to the media during the Tour de France. He has revealed he turned down Team Sky, adding his choices are now not about money.
Dan Martin turned down Team Sky contract
Irish rider Dan Martin has revealed he declined a contract offer from Team Sky. The British WorldTour outfit saw him as a replacement for lieutenant Mikel Landa, who has left the team.
Martin was offered the chance to focus on some events, including one-week stage races, for himself with Team Sky.
And when it came to the Tour de France he would then ride for Chris Froome.
However, he said he was not focussed on remuneration. His choices now depended on racing opportunities.
And from the moment his agents began speaking with UAE Team Emirates it was clear they saw him as outright team leader.
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Its model is to allow Martin lead the team for the Tour de France. Fabio Aru will lead for the Giro d'Italia. And Alexander Kristoff would be the main rider for many other races.
Patrick Lefevere, of Martin's current employers QuickStep, stalled contract negotiations at the point of discussing more investment in the team for the Irishman in Grand Tours.
That had the effect of urging Martin more in the direction of Team UAE Emirates.
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No progress had been made with the Belgian team by the time the Tour de France arrived.
Furthermore, it was a race in which Martin received no support when he really needed it.
Martijn Berkhout of SEG Cycling, the agent for Dan Martin, has told cyclingnews it was good to have a contract offer from Team Sky.
But it was also clear he would fill the void left by Landa’s departure. And though the team is the biggest in the world - and pays a lot - the Irishman turned down its contract.
“Dan wants to be a leader. It’s another reason why he wouldn’t have stayed with Quick-Step,” Berkhout said.
“He wanted full focus on himself in Grand Tours and Emirates can give him that.
“In the end it came down to Sky and Emirates. They were really clear options. (He) made the decision based on leadership.”
Martin himself said when he spoke to Dave Brailsford some of the conversation was about Landa leaving.
However, it was not confirmed Landa was going. And Martin was unwilling to wait as the Tour was just over.
“After talking to Dave it made me realise that I wanted the chance to lead a team myself,” he said.
“For me it’s about going to the races I want to try and win as a full-on team leader. I’ve never really had that; a strong team fully backing me.”
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