Dan Martin working in new ambassadorial role on Tour de France | Sticky Bottle

*Dan Martin is on the Tour de France - his second since retiring - in a new ambassadorial role, but says he'd love to be still in that Tour peloton, sort of...* *(Photo: Maxime Delobel)*

Dan Martin may have hung up his racing wheels almost two years ago now but he is still back on the Tour de France and now has a new ambassadorial role.

He said he was glad to be back at the race as there was "always a nice buzz", adding though it was his second time to watch the event post-retirement, it was the one race that still gave him an "itch" to be still competing, but didn't miss what it took to be on the start line and at the front of the race.

A two-time stage winner at the event, and who finished 6th overall in 2017, Martin said his role as Tour de France ambassador meant he was working for the race, promoting it to VIPs and generally "hanging out" for the three-week tour. He was also appointed ambassador for the Tour of Britain last year.

"I've been talking to guests, trying to explain, to give a bit of insight into what it's like to be a bike rider on the race and explain the race," he said. "I do a briefing every morning about what to expect during the stage, though my prognostics so far have been absolutely terrible," he laughed, adding "it's been a race full of surprises so far".

"I think now there's been a little bit of a barrier put up between the riders and the public," he said. "Years ago, all the riders would be coming and hanging out in here with the VIPs, but now that doesn't happen," he said during a TV interview with SBS in the Tour Village, an area set up at the stage start each day. "So it's nice to have guys like me around just to give a bit of insight.

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains — *This was, literally, an awesome win at the Tour back in 2018; Dan Martin - the best sprinting climber in the business - dancing away on the brutal Mûr de Bretagne with the best 1km kick you'll see*

Video - Ireland's Meehan climbs with best on brutal Alpine terrain — *This was, literally, an awesome win at the Tour back in 2018; Dan Martin - the best sprinting climber in the business - dancing away on the brutal Mûr de Bretagne with the best 1km kick you'll see*

Martin added while part of him would love to still be racing - and that was especially the case when the Tour came around - he didn't miss the other aspects that came with pro cycling; preparing for such major events.

"It's my second Tour de France watching from the sidelines and (that time) has gone so quickly. You still want to be in there, you know.. it's the only race of the year where I get that little bit of itch that's, like, 'it will be really nice to be in there'.

"On the other side of it, I understand too well what it takes to be on that start line and what it takes to be at the front of the race. And, yeah, I'm not missing that bit at all."

On the subject of who is going to win the Tour this year, Martin believed Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who took the yellow jersey yesterday, would be crowned overall winner again when the race reaches Paris in just over two weeks time.