Dan Martin was Ireland's best finisher in the elite men's race at the Bergen Worlds yesterday. He gives his verdict on the race as well as his thoughts on how Ireland rode as a team (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Dan Martin interview after Bergen Worlds
Dan Martin has said that after fracturing vertebrae at the Tour de France and only be diagnose eight weeks ago, after the race, he has simply aiming to finish yesterday’s World Championships.
In the end the Irish rider came home in the front group and placed 26th. He was on the same time as winner Peter Sagan (Slovakia).
“Just to get to the start line is an achievement today,” he said in reference to his crash.
He hit the deck hard at the start of the second week in the Tour de France.
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And while he was in pain getting off the bike each day, the fractures in his back were not diagnosed until after the Tour ended.
“I was diagnosed with a broken back eight weeks ago. It’s been a really hard, long season.
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“I hoped to finish today, so to be in the front group is a big surprise,” he said.
“The race really started with four to five laps to go. The pace heated up, and it was very, very hard.
"There was a split at the top, and I was just at the right side of the split.”
Martin added Sean McKenna and Conor Dunne had done strong rides in the breakaway.
“That was a great performance from the team today,” he said of the Bergen Worlds race.
“Sean and Conor were in the break, and did a great job flying the flag out there. Conor put me in position for when it really started to get hard in the race too.
“We really rode a great race as a team. And it was great to have five riders in the pro race.
“It’s a good performance for the whole team on a course that didn’t really suit us, to be honest.”
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