Dan Martin said people recognising him and wishing him well when he was in Dublin for a few days has hammered home how "immense" the Giro is going to be in May.
In an effort to avoid any early season illness, Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner Dan Martin will not pin a number on his back until March this year, when he expects to get his season underway in Italy at Tirreno-Adriatico.
“I’m skipping the Tour of the Mediterranean this year,” says the 2013 Tour de France stage winner.
“This is my seventh year as a pro and my first year not doing Tour of the Med, which is a bit sad because it’s where I began racing. But on the other hand, the last four years I’ve come out of it with sickness so it’s definitely something I’m hoping to avoid this year.”
Advertisement
Although most of his Garmin Sharp teammates have already raced in Australia and Argentina, Martin has been busy pumping iron instead.
“We haven’t had team training camp this year and it’s enabled me to extend the strength building period of my training. I’ve had a very intense few weeks of strength building basically this year and a lot of work in the gym. I’ll be having an easier week now.
“I’ve had two days off the bike and managed to explore Dublin and spend some time walking the streets of the city, so it’s a bit of a psychological break.
“I still need to get some physical rest when I get back to Girona but it’s been a fantastic break and I’m really ready to get back on my bike now and start a second phase of training which will bring me up to my first race; Tirreno-Adriatico, I think.”
Before that, Martin will head to Majorca for a 10-day training camp with Garmin Sharp on February 12th where he will begin to lay down the foundations for an assault on the Giro d’Italia when the race comes to Ireland in May.
“Instead of having a holiday after Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year, I’ll be riding the Giro,” he says.
Related News
“It really hit home the last couple of days that the Giro is coming to Ireland. The reaction I’ve had when I’ve been home, with people stopping me in the street, it’s been incredible.
“I did a bit of a recon of stage three by foot the last couple of days, walking up around Merrion Square and standing where the finish will be. I’m already getting goosebumps.
“I think there’s going to be a huge buzz about the place. I don’t think people quite understand the level of the WorldTour now, all the glamour of the team buses, the bikes, all the helicopters and all the vehicles.
“It’s just going to be immense. I think it’s going to bring a real buzz to Ireland and hopefully the boom in cycling here will increase even more.”
(Interview continues below advertisement)
Like everyone else, Martin is hoping for some good weather when the Giro reaches Ireland and indeed, heads back to Italy. Last year’s edition was held in some of the worst weather ever with snow affecting many stages.
“The cold is something I don’t really race well in most of the time but last year was also a freak year. It’s not going to be like that every year. I hope not anyway. I rode the race in 2010 and while it rained a lot, it wasn’t freezing cold.
“Last year was exceptional... I hope. With a bit of luck, normality will be resumed this year and the weather won’t play as big a part.
“The last time I rode it I had really bad allergies at the Giro. It’s hard to know how it’s going to go but the real aim will be to win a stage. To have won a stage in all three Grand Tours already in my career would be an incredible achievement.”
Topics
