Dan Martin has described in a newspaper interview with Paul Kimmage how he dissuaded Jonathan Vaughters from signing Chris Froome back in 2011.
Speaking to Paul Kimmage in the Sunday Independent, Martin discusses the issue of the Tour of Poland in 2010 and 2011.
READ: Jonathan Vaughters reveals tiny salary Chris Froome asked for in 2011
He said while the Giro d’Italia of 2010 “nearly killed me” he would win the final yellow jersey in Poland two months later. And when he returned the following year he would claim a stage and would finish 2nd overall, to Peter Sagan.
Kimmage then reminds Dan Martin that Chris Froome would finish 85th overall in the 2011 Tour of Poland. Yet Froome would finish 2nd overall at the Vuelta just weeks later.
“It was definitely a surprise,” Dan Martin replies. “Funny enough, I remember JV (Vaughters) called me after that Tour of Poland.
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“(Vaughters) said, ‘Look, I've been offered this Chris Froome fella for next year. What do you think?’ And I kind of went (exhales) "Phhhh! He's a really nice guy but . . ."
But just weeks after guiding Vaughters away from Froome, the British rider would break through at the Vuelta. And, of course, he has won four Tours de France since.
Asked if he knew Froome at the time, back in 2011, Martin says: “I hadn't talked to him a lot. I had met him a couple of times when I was an under 23.
“We're a similar age, and I knew Geraint (Thomas) and Daryl (Impey) had raced with him at Barloworld. And then, yeah, that Vuelta. It was a real case of 'Wow! Where did that come from?'”
Kimmage’s interview explores Martin’s relationship with uncle and cousin Stephen and Nicolas Roche. They also discuss doping, weight loss and Martin talks about being a bit of a loner.
He says he is shy, does not enjoy the limelight and is not a natural team leader. You can read the full interview by following this link.
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