Chapeau Danny Boy

[nick101]

So, Stephen Roche thinks Dan Martin is capable of winning multiples stages plus maybe the overall this Tour.



Yes, because it's very likely that the peloton will let a 10 minute break get away up the road that includes Dan Martin. As we all know those kind of breaks occur all the time in the modern era of cycling.

Personally, I could see him taking a stage (not 3 though), winning the Tour however is stretching it IMO. He'd have to be very very lucky.

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-...ng-multi-tour-de-france-stages-maybe-overall/

I Agree. Martin is one of the riders I've been keeping a close eye on in relation to his development as a rider over the past few years. He has promise for a Tour de France win, but not this year or next year. He still needs more experience (mainly as a serious overall contender at a 3 week race and as a team leader) and needs to develop a bit more to become an overall contender. Imo he should do the Giro and Vuelta next year (in order to gain experience and develop more), then go to the Tdf in 2015 where he would have a good chance of podium at least. If he were to win any stage I say Ax-3 is the stage, where he would win it in a sprint against riders like Froome, Contador, Valverde, Rodriguez etc. Top 10 is realistic this year, but top 5 is not. As for getting in a break, with Team Sky so controlling in races, that would never happen. They chase down breaks even if they aren't a threat nowadays

 

[Ruudz0r]

I Agree. Martin is one of the riders I've been keeping a close eye on in relation to his development as a rider over the past few years. He has promise for a Tour de France win, but not this year or next year. He still needs more experience (mainly as a serious overall contender at a 3 week race and as a team leader) and needs to develop a bit more to become an overall contender. Imo he should do the Giro and Vuelta next year (in order to gain experience and develop more), then go to the Tdf in 2015 where he would have a good chance of podium at least. If he were to win any stage I say Ax-3 is the stage, where he would win it in a sprint against riders like Froome, Contador, Valverde, Rodriguez etc. Top 10 is realistic this year, but top 5 is not. As for getting in a break, with Team Sky so controlling in races, that would never happen. They chase down breaks even if they aren't a threat nowadays

Giro = Allergies. + he always focusses on the ardennes (and they suit him perfectly so very logically) so it will be hard to have topshape there + in the Giro.

 

[gooner]

Giro = Allergies. + he always focusses on the ardennes (and they suit him perfectly so very logically) so it will be hard to have topshape there + in the Giro.

He said he hopes to ride the Giro next year.

 

[nick101]

He said he hopes to ride the Giro next year.

Awesome hopefully he rides the Vuelta also. Giro = no Ardennes for a lot of riders. His allergies affected his breathing from what i remember, and was still present in July, during the Tour. I remember he said he got his allergies fixed in surgery a year or two ago. His allergies affected his Ardennes in past years (similar time to the Giro), but since getting them fixed he won L-G-L this year

 

[Ruudz0r]

Awesome hopefully he rides the Vuelta also. Giro = no Ardennes for a lot of riders. His allergies affected his breathing from what i remember, and was still present in July, during the Tour. I remember he said he got his allergies fixed in surgery a year or two ago. His allergies affected his Ardennes in past years (similar time to the Giro), but since getting them fixed he won L-G-L this year

His allergies aint over as he tweeted during the TdSuisse

Dan Martin‏@DanMartin86 9 juni
Bit surprised to end up on my own there but nearly worked out for hesj. Getting the climbing legs back. Allergies are rough tho #cantbreathe

 

[nick101]

His allergies aint over as he tweeted during the TdSuisse

Dan Martin‏@DanMartin86 9 juni
Bit surprised to end up on my own there but nearly worked out for hesj. Getting the climbing legs back. Allergies are rough tho #cantbreathe

Really? i honestly though he got the sorted in 2010 or 2011 due to surgery NOOOOOO

 

[Ruudz0r]

Really? i honestly though he got the sorted in 2010 or 2011 due to surgery NOOOOOO

He had surgery yes and they tried a lot of other stuff aswell. He isnt affected by it anymore as much as before but he is still affected.

 

[gooner]

He had surgery yes and they tried a lot of other stuff aswell. He isnt affected by it anymore as much as before but he is still affected.

The Tour de Suisse was the first I heard he was affected by it. Just a few days after his LBL win he said he had no problems this year like in the past. He just had an illness which affected him badly in February but the allergies weren't of a huge problem for early part of the season and the Ardennes.

 

[Ruudz0r]

The Tour de Suisse was the first I heard he was affected by it. Just a few days after his LBL win he said he had no problems this year like in the past. He just had an illness which affected him badly in February but the allergies weren't of a huge problem for early part of the season and the Ardennes.

The allergies werent that bad for anyone in april, the pollen count was really low this year in april.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

He had surgery yes and they tried a lot of other stuff aswell. He isnt affected by it anymore as much as before but he is still affected.

Yeah, as I understand it he's gone from being perhaps the most allergy effected rider in the peloton to being a guy who suffers to the same extent that three dozen others do. Better, but not gone.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Long interview with Vaughters about Martin:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...eve-that-Dan-Martin-can-win-a-Grand-Tour.aspx

 

[gooner]

Long interview with Vaughters about Martin:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...eve-that-Dan-Martin-can-win-a-Grand-Tour.aspx

Lots of it was on the Irish Times as well.

Good read overall and Vaughters comments about a possible future GT winner depending on the course, would signal the Vuelta as his best shot. Only one long TT and if you take last year's and this year's, they are ones that definitely suit him more where he would limit his losses. Next year he has said he plans to ride the Giro and obviously he will be doing the Tour so the Vuelta might be off for the next couple of years. I know it's in Belfast starting off but maybe it would be best skipping it and being fresh for the Tour and go for the Vuelta at the backend of the season.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Lots of it was on the Irish Times as well.

Good read overall and Vaughters comments about a possible future GT winner depending on the course, would signal the Vuelta as his best shot. Only one long TT and if you take last year's and this year's, they are ones that definitely suit him more where he would limit his losses. Next year he has said he plans to ride the Giro and obviously he will be doing the Tour so the Vuelta might be off for the next couple of years. I know it's in Belfast starting off but maybe it would be best skipping it and being fresh for the Tour and go for the Vuelta at the backend of the season.

The Giro has generally looked a better bet for him than the Tour, given the parcours in relatively recent times. But it's slap bang in the middle of pollen allergy season, which makes it an obvious risk for him.

I tend to agree with you that, at least unless those allergy problems really have been dealt with, the Vuelta is his best shot of a GC podium.