Neil Martin has landed a job with a new Dutch development team and already there's an Irish flavour to the roster for next year.
By Brian Canty
Former professional rider, Neil Martin is set for a new role in cycling after he was today confirmed as the sports director of Dutch development squad, SEG Racing Performance Team.
The squad is to base itself on the success of the Ajax youth team in the pro football world; the Dutch outfit having produced some of the best players in the world.
However, while the focus will obviously be on developing bike riders, the team is also aiming to bring in new coaches, doctors and other officials and act as a springboard for non-racing staff into pro cycling.
Martin, who is the father of Irish star and yesterday’s Tour of Lombardy winner Dan Martin, will team up with performance director Michiel Elijzen to coach and instruct the riders before and during races.
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He will continue in his job within Cycling Ireland where he has filled a similar development role with young riders for a number of years. Most recently, Martin managed the team at the World Championships in Ponferrada the week before last.
And despite being based in Girona, Spain, he has also been involved with various Irish development teams.
Earlier in the year he managed the Irish U23 development team at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, guiding the team to a stage win with Dylan Foley, while team mate Sean McKenna took the yellow jersey the same day.
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Back in the day: Neil Martin was well able to move, winning a string of top races and riding for Great Britain at the Moscow and LA Olympics in 1980 and 1984 respectively.
SEG are a sports management agency and represent some of the top names in professional cycling, including Dan Martin and, amongst many others, Niki Terpstra and Sep Vanmarcke.
The agency’s new team is expected to feed riders into both WorldTour and Pro Continental teams and will take over the structure of the existing Koga Continental team, which has ridden the An Post Rás in recent years.
Though the squad has yet to announce its full roster for next year, one rider who will be on that roster is Irish-born Robert-Jon McCarthy.
A Rás stage winner and yellow jersey this year, the Australian international will leave the An Post Chainreaction at the end of the year, having spent one season with them.
Neil Martin will bring a wealth of experience to his new role, with an impressive palmares and bank of knowledge and experience from his racing days and subsequent development work.
He represented Great Britain and at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, is a former British national road champion, won the Lincoln GP and two stages in the Milk Race, to name but some of his results.
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