|
|
|
Last Updated: 14 Oct 2020 - 12:47:15 PM |
DANIEL MARTIN and DAVID MILLAR to Ride Tour of Ireland
By Tommy Campbell
14 Jul 2008,
|
Email this article
|
Irish road race champion Daniel Martin will be back in Ireland to ride in a strong Garmin-Chipotle team. Martin only made his professional debut in the Tour of the Mediterranean in February.
The 21-year-old won the 2.1 classified Route du Sud stage race in France earlier in June after an impressive performance in the Pyrenees and he continued his good form to win both the senior and U23 Irish championship gold medals in Midleton, Co. Cork last month. Martin was the British Junior road race champion back in 2004, the nephew of former 'triple crown' winner Stephen Roche and the son of former British professional Neil Martin but switched his allegiance to Ireland last year, as did Nicholas Roche.
The talented climber rode with the top Marseille based team VC La Pomme in 2007 with victories in the GP Rayol Canadel and the Tour de Savoie as well as claiming the mountains jersey in the tough Ronde de l'Isard race for U23 riders.
Naturally the big teams after his signature but Team Garmin-Chipotle was choice. Martin may have spent most of his racing career outside Ireland but he will not be a stranger to the terrain having raced in the Martin Donnelly Junior Tour of Ireland in 2003 and again in 2004 where he won the circuit stage in Carrick on Suir.
A number of stages in this year's Failte Ireland spnsored tour could suit his talents, notably stage four Limerick to Dingle which features the legendary climb of the Connor Pass.
The seven man Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 team contains former Tour de France stage winner David Millar and 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt. Millar put in an excellent performance to finish in third place in the individual time trial on stage four in the Tour de France last week. The 31-year-old Scot broke into the big time when he pulled on the yellow jersey in France after he won the opening prologue stage in 2000.
Big Swedish strongman Magnus Backstedt was part of the squad who took victory in the team time trial stage of the Giro d'Italia this year but he could also be a useful lead out man for team sprinter Julian Dean. Dean won the New Zealand road race championships for the second consecutive year back in January. Christophe Laurent could also be a contender for the King of the Mountains classification. The 31-year-old Frenchman's career highlights include the mountains award in the Tour of California and Tour de l'Avenir. Martijn Maaskant is the man for tough races and will relish some of the routes scheduled in Ireland. The Dutchman finished fourth this year in the famous Paris-Roubaix classic where the steep climbs and cobbles make it an achievement just to complete the course.
Martin is looking forward to racing in Ireland in the champion's jersey. "I just can't wait to get back to racing on Irish roads again," said Martin: "I know that a really hard course has been announced but the team is really motivated to do well. There was a real fight to get into the team for this one but obviously being Irish champion helped me get in. The guys are excited to be coming to Ireland to race. We should be one of the strongest teams."
This year Martin is set to race against his former GB team mate Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia) who won a second stage of the Tour de France on Saturday in Toulouse.
"It will be interesting to race against Mark. I haven't raced against him yet this year. We spent a lot of time travelling and racing in the GB national team and we road the Martin Donnelly Junior Tour of Ireland together. It will be good to see him again but obviously this time we are hoping that he will be a little bit tired.
"I have got a heavy program in the next few weeks," continued Martin: "The Tour of Portugal finishes a couple of days before Ireland. The Portuguese tour is 12 days long and it will be interesting to see how I cope with so much racing but I will definitely be taking it a bit easier there and saving something for Ireland. The last stage into Cork will be really hard so I am definitely thinking about that one. There will be an incredible atmosphere up on St Patrick's Hill and we are hoping that we can do something on the stage and in the overall classification."
The Tour of Ireland runs over 5 days and will be contested by 16 international teams. The race starts in the Docklands area of Dublin on Wednesday 27th August when 112 riders head out on a route across 12 counties toward the final destination of the City of Cork. The route embraces key towns and cities as well as iconic mountain passes and splendid Irish scenery.
Stage 1: Dublin to Waterford, 192km - Wednesday 27th August
Stage 2: Thurles to Loughrea, 158km - Thursday 28th August
Stage 3: Ballinrobe to Galway, 201km - Friday 29th August
Stage 4: Limerick to Dingle, 186km - Saturday 30th August
Stage 5: Killarney to Cork, 155km - Sunday 31st August.
|
|
|
|
