If he gets a clear run at the Tour de France - with support as team leader - Dan Martin can definitely go much further his best final result to date of 6th overall.
Irish rider Dan Martin’s plans for the season ahead appear to be taking shape nicely with news Fabio Aru is set to focus on the Giro d’Italia.
That schedule for Aru was anticipated and had been flagged in the Italian media of late.
UAE Team Emirates has confirmed Aru will ride the Giro, which begins on May 11th.
And while the team has made no comment on the Tour de France; Aru’s deployment to Italy in May makes the team’s Tour line-up almost inevitable.
It would involve Dan Martin as undisputed general classification leader. And new signing Fernando Gaviria would be the man for the sprinters.
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The young Colombian will very likely be aided by Alexander Kristoff, who can also take his own chances just as he did on the final stage last year.
The selection of Martin and Gaviria as the Tour GC and sprints leaders respectively is not confirmed by the team.
But the decision to send Aru to Italy and to announce it so soon sets out the teams plans much more clearly, and earlier, than last year.
And the announcement brings something of an inevitability to Martin having a clear run at the Tour, albeit splitting domestiques with Gaviria.
Martin was the clear leader of the team last year, though there was endless speculation for months into the season Aru would ride the race.
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The Irishman placed 6th in the Tour two years ago and was 8th overall last year, when he also won the combativity classification and a stage.
He crashed a lost time both last year and the previous year. And if he could stay crash free, he is definitely a very stronger contender for the final podium.
The course this year suits him very well, with limited TT miles and lots of climbing.
And with Martin’s stage race consistency having improved hugely since he hit 30 years old three years ago, his best general classification at a Tour may still be ahead of him.
Dan Martin is scheduled to start his season at the Mallorca Classic; pencilled in provisionally to ride four events during the week of racing.
After that he is also earmarked to take on the Volta Ciclista Catalunya; a race he won overall back in 2013 and when he has claimed to stages.
Fabio Aru looks ahead
For his part, Fabio Aru endured a very poor campaign last year and said he was very much looking forward to the Giro.
“The idea of starting in the Giro d’Italia always hugely motivates me given I’m a climber and there’s that extra bit of emotion added given I’m Italian,” he said.
“You can imagine my desire to reap some rewards on the road during this Corsa Rosa – rewards I weren’t able to enjoy in the last edition.
“I have a desire to repay the sponsors, fans and organisers who continued to believe in me in these last months.
“The Giro’s route offers plenty of serious climbs to balance with the number of kilometres in the time trials.
“We will arrive prepared physically and technically in order to confront every detail of the race in the best way possible.”
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