Magic: Dan Martin said it felt “incredible” to win Lombardy, with Paolo Bettini’s wins among his first memories of ‘the race of the falling leaves’.
After 6½ hours in the saddle, the relief and joy at adding the Tour of Lombardy to his palmares was palpable when Dan Martin spoke at battle’s end in Bergamo on a sun-kissed Italian autumn afternoon.
While the Irishman enjoyed a fine 7th place overall in the Vuelta only last month, a career best in a Grand Tour; Martin’s season was defined by two crashes until this afternoon.
He fell on the last corner when leading Liège–Bastogne–Liège on his own back in April, and just weeks later he broke his collar bone on the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia in Belfast.
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His hitting a sunken manhole cover in the team time trial robbed him of a fantastic chance of an all-out assault on the race when he was clearly in fantastic form, having taken 2nd in La Flèche Wallonne just days before an excellent ride, but for the last error, at Liège.
But you can’t argue with a winner and today a classy Dan Martin rode the perfect race to take home one of the biggest one-day prizes in the sport.
It gave Ireland its fourth victory in the event after wins by Sean Kelly in 1983, ’85 and ’91.
Ecstasy: The very moment all the frustration of an unlucky season poured out, displaced by the joy of another monument win.
“I can’t believe it and I just love this race as well; it’s one of my favourite races,” a clearly ecstatic Martin said.
“To get second and to crash on the last corner last year; it’s just incredible to win it,” he added, referring to his runner up slot in 2009 and his crash last year.
He came off his bike 12 months ago at the final corner and was unable to dispute third place with Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) as winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) was leading alone, being chased by eventual runner-up Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
Martin also came into today’s race on the back of a crash during the finale of the World Championships last weekend when he was in the depleted peloton.
“After all the bad luck this year; obviously last week I felt good and I crash again," he said.
“But I always believed and the team always believed in me all the way; that the luck would change and we’d get the big victory. To win this is incredible.
“I only knew I'd won when I got through the last corner without crashing.
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On top of the podium with the iconic trophy.
“I had planned to attack on the last climb, but I couldn’t get through, there was too many people. And the guys were going so hard anyway.
“And then I saw Gilbert and Albasini (in the lead group) and obviously they are very fast. And then Alejandro (Valverde)... I knew I had to try something and the opportunity happened.”
Well inside the final kilometre, Martin sprinted down the right side of the road from last place in the escape. And though spotted by Gilbert, the Garmin-Sharp man accelerated, with impeccable timing and great bravery on his side.
“It was pretty similar to when I won a stage on the Vuelta,” he said of his 2009 stage 9 victory in Spain.
“There was just this much gap and I got through it as Philippe was closing it. Once I got the gap, it was so close to the line I just had to go as hard as I could and not crash on the last corner like at Liege.
“Lombardia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège are my two favourite races of the year. I just love these long races and getting eighth in 2009 was when I first realised I could perhaps win it.
What a moment: A little glance back tells Dan Martin this one's in the bag; it's dream time for the man in blue.
“Lombardia is a beautiful, beautiful race. It's the climber's classic and it's one of the first cycling memories I have, starting when Bettini won it.
“I understand the history of the race. I love cycling and this is one of the biggest races of the year. To have my name on the race palmares is incredible.
“I love racing and actually enjoy one day races the most. I've proven in the Vuelta that I can do the general classification, but winning a Grand Tour is perhaps a few years away.
“There's something special about starting fresh and finishing empty. One day classics are more tactical, you have to take risks. I'm a less conservative rider and love that kind of racing.
“In my career I always wanted to win three races: Lombardia, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne. Now there's only one left and I was close to Flèche this year.
“I'm only 28 and I've already won two Monuments. But I'm going to continue racing how I do and enjoy my racing.”
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