Dan Martin

[MellowJohnny]

The guy is one of my favourite riders and along with Steve Cummings is also likely the closest born pro rider to me.

It occurred to that Dan switched from British cycling to ride for Ireland (much the same that Matt Brammeier did also) - I was wondering why so? More opportunities riding for Ireland? - Or a rumoured fall out with BC.

I wonder just how much coverage this guy would get if he was racing with a British License, its talked about how much potential Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh have (but they haven't won a classic yet or finished in the top 10 of a GC) or how good Chris Froome climbs (yet wasn't raised on British roads or through the BC system).

Dan is probably the best British born climber since Robert Millar and I wonder if he will surpass that soon.

 

[happytramp]

Dan is probably the best British born climber since Robert Millar and I wonder if he will surpass that soon.

He's also the best Irish climber since Stephen Roche.

 

[Parker]

Both Martin and Brailsford say that it was because British Cycling was primarily focused on the track at the time and road racing was a secondary consideration - which of course didn't suit his needs. So he went to Ireland. Brailsford admits they didn't provide for him sufficiently.

And yes, he would get quite a lot of coverage, and he does anyway in the specialist media. The more general UK sport media isn't especially interested in the races he wins (Cavendish's MSR went largely unnoticed) but he's still a player in the Tour and potential the World's which they do bother with.

 

[happytramp]

And yes, he would get quite a lot of coverage, and he does anyway in the specialist media. The more general UK sport media isn't especially interested in the races he wins (Cavendish's MSR went largely unnoticed) but he's still a player in the Tour and potential the World's which they do bother with.

Trust me, he'd get a fraction of what he gets riding for Ireland. Somehow can't quite see him making the cover of the Times for winning Leige last year. (he was plastered all over the front of the Irish Times)

 

[Parker]

Trust me, he'd get a fraction of what he gets riding for Ireland. Somehow can't quite see him making the cover of the Times for winning Leige last year. (he was plastered all over the front of the Irish Times)

Sure. I thought the OP was referring to the UK media and general anglophone cycling media.

 

[happytramp]

Sure. I thought the OP was referring to the UK media and general anglophone cycling media.

In Ireland, we've way less international sporting glory to report on. We generally go to town on anything we can get.

In England he'd be way behind the likes of Wiggins, Cavendish, Hoy, Pendelton etc. I think the general English public care way more about Olympic glory than anything else (other than their football team)

 

[MellowJohnny]

Sure. I thought the OP was referring to the UK media and general anglophone cycling media.

Yes the general British media, the BBC, the times, Sky etc. It seems that Cavendish, Froome, Wiggins were on the covers of a lot of things here in the UK. The irony is that Martin is winning races that no British qualified rider (possibly aside from Thomas - though he hasn't come close yet) has done yet.

His Lombardy win this year proved that he's no lucky rider.

Chapeau to DC for admitting his mistake, though it is a huge one.

I studied national identity at University for a while and found it interesting particularly how the media plays with it. I won't bore anyone with it. I just find it interesting how the press claims the British Wiggins, Cavendish, Froome (despite all 3 not being born on Mainland Britain) and yet there is DM who born and bred in Birmingham winning big races and not getting much of a mention.

Just for the record I think DM is a great rider,

 

[happytramp]

It all comes down to who you choose to represent. Not where you happen to have been born. Chris Juul Jensen was born and raised in Ireland but he represents Denmark. As such he's not on my radar when it comes to wanting him to win. That said if he represented Ireland i'd be shouting at the TV if he was in with a chance. It seems like in today's world, where people move around so much that birthplace means less and less.

 

[Parker]

It seems like in today's world, where people move around so much that birthplace means less and less.

Imagine if Cadel Evans's son becomes a top cyclist. Born in Ethiopia, raised by an Australian and an Italian in Switzerland. What nationality is he?

 

[happytramp]

Imagine if Cadel Evans's son becomes a top cyclist. Born in Ethiopia, raised by an Australian and an Italian in Switzerland. What nationality is he?

That's a complicated one! I've a feeling that these choices often come down to whichever national federation will give the best development grants.

 

[ferryman]

I like Dan a lot also. There is a very strong first generation Irish connection* which probably meant the switch was no big deal to him personally. Maybe he has always felt Irish rather than English. But I believe the support thing had a lot to do with it.

* I think his mother is Stephen Roche's sister (Nico a cousin).

 

[Frosty]

Dan Martin and Steve Cummings are roughly the same distance from where i grew up too. Strange that Dan Martin isnt British but Froome (born in Kenya, then raced in south africa, now lives in Monaco) is and Wiggins (born in Belgium) also is.

Can't help thinking that the right worlds course should come up for him at some point. Shame for him that he won't have the stronger GBR team when it does so but maybe the IRE can keep him near the front - aside from Cav's win the GBR performance has not really been that good anyway and besides Roche and Deignan would make good team mates although i am not sure how many more riders Ireland have. Maybe if Brailsford had persuaded him to take to the track then he would have lost that familiar head banging on the bike?

 

[Frosty]

I like Dan a lot also. There is a very strong first generation Irish connection* which probably meant the switch was no big deal to him personally. Maybe he has always felt Irish rather than English. But I believe the support thing had a lot to do with it.

* I think his mother is Stephen Roche's sister (Nico a cousin).

Yes, you are correct with your family connections.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Maybe if Brailsford had persuaded him to take to the track then he would have lost that familiar head banging on the bike?

He'd be a guy who retired at 20 having never made it to the GB team, but he'd have a beautifully fluent riding style in his local sportifs.

 

[Frosty]

He'd be a guy who retired at 20 having never made it to the GB team, but he'd have a beautifully fluent riding style in his local sportifs.

Very true.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The guy is one of my favourite riders and along with Steve Cummings is also likely the closest born pro rider to me.

It occurred to that Dan switched from British cycling to ride for Ireland (much the same that Matt Brammeier did also) - I was wondering why so? More opportunities riding for Ireland? - Or a rumoured fall out with BC.

I wonder just how much coverage this guy would get if he was racing with a British License, its talked about how much potential Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh have (but they haven't won a classic yet or finished in the top 10 of a GC) or how good Chris Froome climbs (yet wasn't raised on British roads or through the BC system).

Dan is probably the best British born climber since Robert Millar and I wonder if he will surpass that soon.

Brammeier allegedly switched his registration to Ireland because his then team mates at An Post wanted to get a track team going and found out he had an Irish family background. It worked out pretty well for him as his five Irish national championships (1 TT and 4 RRs) are amongst his best results. Hopefully he can get back out of the CT ranks.

As far as Martin is concerned, I don't know precisely who fell out with who, but the BC programme in that period was clearly not a good place for a midget climber/puncheur. It's almost more surprising that he was in it to start with than that he parted company with it. He's "the one that got away" for BC, but really they weren't set up to develop non-trackies at that point.

He gets a lot of specialist cycling media coverage in Britain (and the rest of the anglophone world). Probably more than any British rider bar Wiggins/Froome/Cavendish. I'm not sure that he'd get much mainstream coverage there even if he was British registered.

 

[happytramp]

Within the next couple of years Martin will have Roche, Deignan, Sam Bennett and quite likely the extremely talented Ryan Mullen for company. That's enough to give him a shot at the right Worlds course (especially in that window between Valverde and Rodriguez retiring and the next crop of young stars coming up)

 

[grizzlee]

Within the next couple of years Martin will have Roche, Deignan, Sam Bennett and quite likely the extremely talented Ryan Mullen for company. That's enough to give him a shot at the right Worlds course (especially in that window between Valverde and Rodriguez retiring and the next crop of young stars coming up)

Dont forget Dunbar and o loughlin will be comming through soon too.

 

[MellowJohnny]

I hope this doesn't jynx things but I think Dan Martin could be a future World Champ. He's probably one of those riders that could win with few teammates also.

Perhaps its because Ireland has a much better top end pedigree of cyclists than GB does. That being said I am glad that they have embraced him as one of their own, a bit like GB has done for Froome.

 

[ILovecycling]

This guy really stepped up this year.I havent took him seriously even after his LBL win.
Great punch and balls.

 

[theyoungest]

In Ireland, we've way less international sporting glory to report on. We generally go to town on anything we can get.

In England he'd be way behind the likes of Wiggins, Cavendish, Hoy, Pendelton etc. I think the general English public care way more about Olympic glory than anything else (other than their football team)

Strange, that. Their football team utterly sucks, not having made the final four at a major championship in nearly 20 years. Whereas their cyclists are among the best in the world.

I do get the impression that Wiggo has changed things a bit though.

 

[Akuryo]

Can't help thinking that the right worlds course should come up for him at some point. Shame for him that he won't have the stronger GBR team when it does so but maybe the IRE can keep him near the front

The "Peter Sagan-tactic" - burn your team while it lasts - worked out pretty damn good for Kwiatkowski. They set the tempo for most of the day. With 80 kilometers to go he only had two guys left to fetch him some water...

It showed, that you don't need a team of 9 stars to do the job. And who would've thought a few years ago that Poland will ever get 9 guys for the World Championships? Maybe Ireland can do the same thing.

 

[Sethcapes]

Strange, that. Their football team utterly sucks, not having made the final four at a major championship in nearly 20 years. Whereas their cyclists are among the best in the world.

I do get the impression that Wiggo has changed things a bit though.

Club football.

Noone really gives a sh!t about the national team.

 

[theyoungest]

Club football.

Noone really gives a sh!t about the national team.

Tell that to the BBC, one of the biggest spenders on World Cup TV

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The "Peter Sagan-tactic" - burn your team while it lasts - worked out pretty damn good for Kwiatkowski. They set the tempo for most of the day. With 80 kilometers to go he only had two guys left to fetch him some water...

It showed, that you don't need a team of 9 stars to do the job. And who would've thought a few years ago that Poland will ever get 9 guys for the World Championships? Maybe Ireland can do the same thing.

Martin is the kind of rider who can win with a small team - a very long hilly race is precisely his sort of thing. Which is just as well, because he is not going to have a team of nine any time soon. There just aren't enough riders who could earn WT points. Getting the team from three to five would help though and that should be possible over the next couple of years.

Unfortunately I don't think Roche is quite strong enough to play the role Hesjedal plays for him in classics at Garmin as an attacking threat/ superdom. But he can win without that in theory.