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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
MARTIN CONCENTRATING ON ARDENNES CLASSICS RATHER THAN PAIS VASCO GC
By Shane Stokes
4 Apr 2012,
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Daniel Martin’s concerns that he might not have fully recovered from the recent Volta a Catalunya proved correct yesterday when the Irish rider finished in a group two minutes fourteen seconds back on the stage to Vitoria-Gasteiz.
The 165.7 kilometre leg was won with a superb final kilometre attack by GreenEdge rider Daryl Impey. He was working to lead out team-mate Allan Davis, but saw he had opened a slight gap and floored it, holding off the main bunch.
Davis nabbed second to make it a GreenEdge one-two.
Stage one winner Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) retained the race leader’s jersey. The Spanish champion won a big sprint on Monday, clocking up his first win of the year. Martin rolled in as part of a group one minute 28 seconds back, with he and many of the pre-race favourites being delayed due to a crash near the finish.
As the incident happened inside the final three kilometres, they were all given the same time as stage winner Rojas.
Martin spoke to Irishcycling.com after that first stage and said that he wasn’t sure that he would contend for the overall classification.
“It depends on my legs,” he said. “I am still feeling Catalunya, to be honest. There is quite a bit of fatigue still there. Normally I’d have recovered but I’d to go so deep because of my crash there and my injuries.”
Martin was below part in that earlier race as a result of a fall on stage three, but held on to finish a fine fourth overall.
The Garmin Barracuda rider indicated after yesterday’s stage that his legs were empty all day, thus proving his earlier concerns right. However he’s got other aims in the race.
“I’m mainly here to prepare for the Ardennes Classics, which are an important goal for me,” he said. “Of course, if a chance to take a good stage result happens, I am not going to turn that down.”
If he does recover from fatigue, both today’s and tomorrow’s stages have summit-top finishes which could suit him.
OLYMPIC SELECTION DEBATE:
Martin recently voiced concerns over the selection criteria laid out by Cycling Ireland for the Olympic Games, saying that there was a danger that riders without WorldTour experience could qualify for a race that they would have difficulty handling.
“I hope people realize how ridiculous it is that a stage in the Rás is equivalent to fourth place in Liege Bastogne Liege,” he told Irishcycling.com
“Basically if an Irish rider wins two stages in the Rás, which is very possible with the guys we have at home now, he is potentially going to the Olympics before me or Nicolas.
“It is a stupid situation… Nobody would be going if it wasn’t for the points that we earned last year in the ProTour. We are the ones racing over 200km week in week out, and the Olympics is 265 kilometres. You need to have that base.”
Responding to that, Cycling Ireland’s Geoff Liffey said that he felt the correct riders would end up being selected. “I don't wish to go into details on the specific rationale of various components within the criteria. However I would say that it favours those riders who are achieving results in 2012,” he stated. “There are also 100 points to be awarded by scoring for those most suited to London Olympic course and with an ability to be competitive. These points will be awarded at the discretion of the three selectors.
“Despite what has been reported in the media, Dan Martin does have Olympic points per this criteria. He would have 22 points based on a eighth and ninth stage placings in Cataluyna. Nico Roche also has points from Algarve and Paris Nice stage placings. To my knowledge these are the only riders who currently have Olympic criteria points.”
Matt Brammeier (Omega Pharma Quick Step) and Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare) are the other two Irish riders who are competing in the top events in the European scene.
Vuelta al Pais Vasco (WorldTour)
April 2, Stage 1: Güeñes:
1, Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team, 153 kilometres in 3 hours 57 mins 44 secs
2, Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
3, Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin - Barracuda
4, Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
5, Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
6, Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Barracuda, all same time
Irish:
107, Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin – Barracuda, at 1 min 28 secs
April 3, Stage 2: Güeñes - Vitoria-Gasteiz:
1, Daryl Impey (RSA) GreenEdge Cycling Team, 165.7 kilometres in 4 hours 10 mins 7 secs
2, Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
3, Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling
4, Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
5, Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
6, Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale, all same time
Irish:
144, Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin – Barracuda, at 2 mins 14 secs
Teams:
1, Greenedge Cycling Team, 12 hours 30 mins 21 secs
2, Rabobank Cycling Team
3, Liquigas-Cannondale
Other:
5, Garmin – Barracuda, all same time
General classification after stage 2:
1, Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team, 8 hours 7 mins 51 secs
2, Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
3, Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin - Barracuda
4, Daryl Impey (RSA) GreenEdge Cycling Team
5, Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
6, Gianni Meersman (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
Irish:
123, Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin – Barracuda, at 2 mins 14 secs
Mountains classification
1, David de la Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Caja Rural, 30 pts
2, Davide Mucelli (Ita) Utensilnord Named, 20
3, Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat, 18
Sprints classification
1, Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Spa) Caja Rural, 8 pts
2, Davide Mucelli (Ita) Utensilnord Named, 6
3, Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) Utensilnord Named, 5
Points classification
1, Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team, 39 pts
2, Daryl Impey (RSA) GreenEdge Cycling Team, 30
3, Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale, 24
Teams classification
1, Greenedge Cycling Team, 24 hours 23 mins 33 secs
2, Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
3, Liquigas-Cannondale, both same time
Other:
8, Garmin – Barracuda, same time
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