Dan Martin says "there is no goal" being targeted on Giro d'Italia | Video | Sticky Bottle

*Dan Martin says at this stage of his career he doesn't need to continue and he is simply racing for fun, with no expectations or goals (Photo: Fabio Ferrari)*

Dan Martin has said he has no goals in the Giro d’Italia
and was focused on enjoying his racing and hoping he felt good every day.

The Irish rider, competing with Israel Start-Up Nation, was 3^rd on Thursday's stage 6 and was one of only three riders in the select group able to move with Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) when the Colombian pressed hard in the finale.

And while the conditions were wet and cold, which are not
usually to Martin’s liking, he looked like one of the very strongest in the
race.

*Caleb Ewan was streets ahead of the opposition at the end of yesterday's stage, the Australian rider demolishing the final sprint for his second stage victory of the race (Photo: Massimo Paolone)*

Yesterday's stage 7 was won in a bunch sprint by Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), from Martin’s team mate Davide Cimolai and stage 2 winner Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix).

Ewan took the points jersey after what
was his second win on the race and 22-year-old Hungarian Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ) retained the maglia rosa of overall leader.

Dan Martin, who was 4^th in last year’s Vuelta and is a contender for the podium in Italy on Sunday fortnight, remains 9^th overall at 47 seconds after finishing in the bunch yesterday.

Nicolas Roche (Team DSM) was active in the finale yesterday in trying to position Max Kanter for the sprint. When his work was done he rode to the finish and was 3:12 down on the line.

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When it was put it to Martin yesterday that he was going really well in the Giro even though everyone was talking about the younger generation of riders, Martin jokingly responded: “Are you saying I’m old?”

But he then said he still had a real passion for the sport and felt no pressure, and that was crucial to continuing on with a desire to race.

“I’m just enjoying racing now, you know. I think once you
get to my age you realise there’s not really any pressure anymore,” said the
34-year-old.

“I’m just racing for fun; I don’t need to do this anymore so it’s purely for the enjoyment. But I’m feeling better than ever. And everything’s gone well this year, apart from getting sick earlier in the year so we’ll just keep enjoying this race.”

Asked what he was aiming for on a race, Martin gave an
answer that reflected this period of his career, without heaping expectations
on his own shoulders.

“I don’t have a goal,” he said of the Giro, though he is
in it to ride for GC and possibly win a stage if he could. “I’ll just take it
day by day and enjoy the race. There is no goal.”

Asked to compare his condition now with the previous
peaks of his career, he said: “I don’t know, I don’t even think about it. There’s
no point looking back. You just need to hopefully feel good again today and get
through today and then we’ll look at tomorrow.”

He also said while he had the legs to move with Bernal when he attacked in the finale of stage 6 he may not have those legs every day on the race and he had no expectations.