Working on the Tour de France for Skoda, Stephen Roche said with Dan Martin capable of doing so much damage in the next two weeks, he will be watched very closely by the overall contenders.
By Brian Canty
Former Tour de France winner Stephen Roche believes his nephew Dan Martin will find himself a marked man in the peloton after his victory in Sunday’s dramatic stage nine to Bagneres-de-Bigorre.
Roche was the last Irishman before Martin to win a stage of the world's most famous bike race and he contests Martin'c chances will now be limited after his stunning win.
“Dan has matured really well,” said Roche. “He’s won at the Volta a Catalunya and Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year so he’s by no means a surprise winner, I even predicted it yesterday morning but maybe that’s a bit of a fluke for me."
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“But the top guys were busy looking at each other and he did exactly what he needed to do."
“He’ll get less and less freedom now. The other team leaders never seem to see him and he’s got a habit of slipping through the fishnet, but that won’t happen for much longer."
“He’ll be looked on now as a rider who can do a lot of damage and they won’t give him so much rope.”
Roche believes it is just the start for Martin, and tipped for potential podium success in an upcoming Tour.
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“I don’t know how far he can go and I don’t think he does,” he said. “The way he’s developed, and with his attitude, I think we could be looking at a top five or a top three in Paris in the next few years.”
Roche’s own son Nicolas put in a ferocious ride to shepherd Alberto Contador out of danger and though he lost over half an hour, Roche senior is confident the experience of being on a contending team will serve him well in the long run."
“He’s a little bit disappointed in his own performance,” he said. “He would like to have been better but he has had to work for Contador and he knew that before he started."
“He can take a step back and take some pressure off himself now and watch how Contador works. He’s a very good professional, he pays close attention to details and that’s what Nico needs."
“He’s taking one step back from having been a team leader but he can use it take a step forward in the future.”
Meanwhile, Sean Kelly lavished praised on Martin's win as he became just the fifth ever Irish rider to win a stage at the race.
“To win the stage it had to be a really brilliant ride,” he said.
“To ride away on the final climb when you had Quintana trying to attack Froome and the likes of Valverde and Contador not able to do anything, it was fabulous."
“We’ve seen it already this year at the Volta a Catalunya and Liege-Bastogne-Liege [both won by Martin]. When he gets into a winning situation he keeps his cool. You’ve got to have the legs but you’ve also got to have the head.”
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