Dan Martin has outlined his bad luck but he is shrugging it off and says he is in top condition to have a go at winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège this Sunday.
Having trailed home in 61st some 9:37 down at Flèche Wallonne, Dan Martin has said he is looking forward to Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.
Martin was 2nd in both races last year. And he went into yesterday’s Flèche Wallonne as an outside favourite.
Normally he would be among those hotly tipped to win. But he has had a quiet season so far; not helped by a crash at Volta a Catalunya.
However, he said that he simply suffered back luck yesterday on the penultimate passage of the finishing climb.
When he came through the start finish for the bell he was way down the field. He had already been distanced off the back of the lead pack.
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However, far from losing his place due to poor form, he said he was unlucky to get caught behind a crash.
And while the Irishman, riding for UAE Team Emirates, did not fall off himself, he was held up.
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A gap then opened and it was impossible to get back into the group; the speed and gradient militating against him.
His team rode on the front earlier in the race in a bid to set up him up for a crack at victory.
But while he said he was proud of the way his team mates rode, ultimately it was not rewarded with a big result.
“Again bad luck cost us the result we deserve,” he said. “I got held up by a crash penultimate time on the Mur.
“Didn't crash so not all bad and (I’m) in top condition to try again on Sunday. Lady Luck will shine on us soon.”
Impressive record in Ardennes
Dan Martin has ridden extremely well in the Ardennes classics during his career; winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège five years ago.
He was 2nd last year and 5th in 2012. In 2014 he looked set to win when he crashed on the final corner.
And in La Flèche Wallonne he has been in the top six five times, though he’s yet to win it.
Twelve months ago he was 2nd in both Liège–Bastogne–Liège and La Flèche Wallonne; beaten in both by Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
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