Dan is the man

Kaisr Sose

Dan Martin reveals he suffered some fractures in his back in the Porte crash! I always felt he was lucky to walk away with just strains and bruising. Serious kudos for have a go Dan. Pity he will miss Sebastian but roll on Tour de 2018 for the one man team GC contender!

http://m.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/irelands-dan-martin-competed-in-tour-de-france-with-a-broken-back-35976269.html

bazermc

The bravest man in the Tour de France. According to Kirby

Borderfox

It really puts into perspective the efforts that he made in the mountains, what a guy

bazermc

Catch me if you can, my name is Dan, sure I'm your man

TheBlaaMan

Lots of announcements from Quickstep team regarding riders for next year in recent days, but not a squeak about Dan renewing with them, so it would seem likely that he probably won't be there next year. Do the rumours about him signing Team UAE have real substance? Presumably Aru has to get off the UAE Vs Astana fence before Dan's 2018 team will become clear?

Glass Prison 1214

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Lots of announcements from Quickstep team regarding riders for next year in recent days, but not a squeak about Dan renewing with them, so it would seem likely that he probably won't be there next year. Do the rumours about him signing Team UAE have real substance? Presumably Aru has to get off the UAE Vs Astana fence before Dan's 2018 team will become clear?

i thought it was already announced he was staying, no?

TheBlaaMan

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

i thought it was already announced he was staying, no?

No I don't think so....

tunney

I'd never take anything to help me. Other than the tramadol.

Glass Prison 1214

tunney wrote: »

I'd never take anything to help me. Other than the tramadol.

I assume this is in relation to what he said in his interview with Paul Kimmage.

Do you not think it is commendable that he is up front about everything he has ever taken, rather than keep it quiet? He also said after taking it, it felt wrong and as such hasn't taken it in the seven years since.

Here's the piece http://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/paul-kimmage/paul-kimmage-meets-dan-martin-growing-up-with-the-roches-the-scourge-of-doping-and-tour-de-france-ambitions-36026789.html

TLDR Kimmage does as expected and jumps at every chance to go for doping.

Glass Prison 1214

Deleted User wrote: »

Here's the piece http://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/paul-kimmage/paul-kimmage-meets-dan-martin-growing-up-with-the-roches-the-scourge-of-doping-and-tour-de-france-ambitions-36026789.html

TLDR Kimmage does as expected and jumps at every chance to go for doping.

No he doesn't, it was Dan who brought it up on both occasions.

It sounds like your just looking for a reason to give out about Kimmage.

Kaisr Sose

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Here's the piece http://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/paul-kimmage/paul-kimmage-meets-dan-martin-growing-up-with-the-roches-the-scourge-of-doping-and-tour-de-france-ambitions-36026789.html

TLDR Kimmage does as expected and jumps at every chance to go for doping.

Wrong!

Kaisr Sose

tunney wrote: »

I'd never take anything to help me. Other than the tramadol.

I think you may be making a headline out of something he even said was not a great experience, and a long time ago. Tramadol is widely prescribed as a pain killer and saying you took it does not make you a cheat.

Glass Prison 1214

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

No he doesn't, it was Dan who brought it up on both occasions.

It sounds like your just looking for a reason to give out about Kimmage.

Not the case, PK brought Froome up on his 2nd place at the Vuelta, then later brings up Valverde.

Don't get me wrong theres a decent interview there but these also some scutter.

Glass Prison 1214

Deleted User wrote: »

Not the case, PK brought Froome up on his 2nd place at the Vuelta, then later brings up Valverde.

The two men who have beaten Dan in his biggest races this year, Liege and the Tour. Surely it's normal to bring up his main rivals?

brocbrocach

I was very taken with his Irishness. I knew he had obvious family links to this country and I know he's great at coming over to do Temple Street charity stuff etc but I never knew he was so dyed-in-the-green. Great to hear it!
Also a bit of an eye opener to hear about the venom that was in VC la pomme in his amateur days in France. It's the environment that our most talented kids strive to join, and it seems a horrible grounding.

Glass Prison 1214

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

The two men who have beaten Dan in his biggest races this year, Liege and the Tour. Surely it's normal to bring up his main rivals?

He mentioned them in the context of 2009 or so though didn't he? There was also the part about Kimmage giving Nico a hard time because he's not vocal enough about "stuff that's going on" .

1bryan

tunney wrote: »

I'd never take anything to help me. Other than the tramadol.

I was curious about that comment too. It reminded me of a previous interview Kimmage did with Nicholas Roche where he said pretty much the same thing. That he took it, that he hated it, so he never took it again. I'd be curious to see the timeline as to when Roche/Dan took it, vs when it started being a 'thing' in the pro peloton (I'd guess it's something Sky unearthed). And, if there's a try-and-see-what-it-does-for-you period when something new and legal emerges.

I recall something similar in the mid-90s when creatine hit the headlines. It may already have been popular in rugby before then but GAA teams started taking it en masse. Some players kept it up, more stopped taking it - almost none of them knew why they were taking it, other than that it might be 'good for you'. I'd guess this is why Dan and Nico took tramadol. It did nothing for either so they never took it again.

Eponymous

Having been on Tramadol earlier this year, I'd have to wonder why the fcuk anyone would want to try control a bike with this stuff in their system. The whole time I was on it I couldn't even concentrate on TV!

Back on topic, I think Dan was really badly let down by his team, seeming to be more focussed on just getting Kittel over the hills rather than supporting an actual GC contender. Where could he go to get the sort of support he needs? Trek?

godtabh

Eponymous wrote: »

Having been on Tramadol earlier this year, I'd have to wonder why the fcuk anyone would want to try control a bike with this stuff in their system. The whole time I was on it I couldn't even concentrate on TV!

Back on topic, I think Dan was really badly let down by his team, seeming to be more focussed on just getting Kittel over the hills rather than supporting an actual GC contender. Where could he go to get the sort of support he needs? Trek?

Have quickstep ever been a GC team?

CrowdedHouse

Stickybottle have a sort of UAE or maybe Trek rumour

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/reports-grow-dan-martin-leaving-quickstep-rival-team/

Eponymous

godtabh wrote: »

Have quickstep ever been a GC team?

Not that I recall, but you don't take on a cyclist like Dan if you don't have some ambitions beyond the odd stage/classics win.

Pa8301

Eponymous wrote: »

Not that I recall, but you don't take on a cyclist like Dan if you don't have some ambitions beyond the odd stage/classics win.

I think Quickstep took him on primarily for the Ardennes and Lombardy as well as week long stage races. Going for GC in the Tour is a bonus for them I'd say.

brocbrocach

Pa8301 wrote: »

I think Quickstep took him on primarily for the Ardennes and Lombardy as well as week long stage races. Going for GC in the Tour is a bonus for them I'd say.

Alaphillippe, Gilbert have them fairly nicely covered for those too! Ah they like a bit of a GC man to complement the sprinters too but only if there's no effort involved. Still, even by their poor standards they left him out to dry with this years TDF tactics.

Miklos

As much as I like Quick Step as a team, Dan would be much better served on a more GC oriented team. If he can do what he did with practically no help in the mountains he would surely give Froome something to worry about with a few skinny domestiques.

equivariant

Eponymous wrote: »

Not that I recall, but you don't take on a cyclist like Dan if you don't have some ambitions beyond the odd stage/classics win.

To be fair to QS, I'd say that is exactly how Dan was perceived before this year's Tour. Potential Ardennes winner but not a real GC threat - I'd say most people would have said that he couldn't live with the GC group in the Alps/Pyrenees. This year's tour has changed that perception even according to Dan himself.

Thud

equivariant wrote: »

To be fair to QS, I'd say that is exactly how Dan was perceived before this year's Tour. Potential Ardennes winner but not a real GC threat - I'd say most people would have said that he couldn't live with the GC group in the Alps/Pyrenees. This year's tour has changed that perception even according to Dan himself.

Last years tour and the Dauphine? He should have been given more than one team mate to support him in the hills this year.

TheBlaaMan

Dan will be riding a Colnago next year.........that's great. It sounds as if he will get a good team behind him for a decent crack at a grand tour.

http://www.uaeteamemirates.com/daniel-martin-board-ambitious-emirati-project/

brocbrocach

Personally I'm disappointed in his choice of team. There's very little to like about them, from riders right through to sponsors. The only worse one he could've picked was Bahrain. Ah well.

1bryan

brocbrocach wrote: »

Personally I'm disappointed in his choice of team. There's very little to like about them, from riders right through to sponsors. The only worse one he could've picked was Bahrain. Ah well.

agreed. Though there's almost no team out there left without something to dislike about them.

bazermc

Does he get free flights.

Lusk_Doyle

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Dan will be riding a Colnago next year.........that's great. It sounds as if he will get a good team behind him for a decent crack at a grand tour.

http://www.uaeteamemirates.com/daniel-martin-board-ambitious-emirati-project/

I see they have an "off with their heads" policy for failed riders. He better be on top of his game!

neris

interview on the cycling podcast with patrick lefevre at the vuelta and he was asked about dan martin, said quickstep never offered dan a new contract or contacted dans side to sit down to even discuss him racinng with them in 2018. Wonder was dan hung out to dry at the tour coz the team knew they were moving him on for next year

mcgratheoin

neris wrote: »

interview on the cycling podcast with patrick lefevre at the vuelta and he was asked about dan martin, said quickstep never offered dan a new contract or contacted dans side to sit down to even discuss him racinng with them in 2018. Wonder was dan hung out to dry at the tour coz the team knew they were moving him on for next year

I'd say it's less a case of hanging him out to dry than Quickstep not really wanting to be a GC team. If you look at a squad with Gilbert, Boonen, Kittel, Stybar, Trentin, Gaviria as more or less your top riders, you can't really invest in a GC team at the same time. They signed Dan with classics in mind and having some sort of top 10 to 20 GC presence but they were never going to put the weight of the team behind him - it's the exact opposite to the Cav situation at Sky a few years ago.

brocbrocach

mcgratheoin wrote: »

I'd say it's less a case of hanging him out to dry than Quickstep not really wanting to be a GC team. If you look at a squad with Gilbert, Boonen, Kittel, Stybar, Trentin, Gaviria as more or less your top riders, you can't really invest in a GC team at the same time. They signed Dan with classics in mind and having some sort of top 10 to 20 GC presence but they were never going to put the weight of the team behind him - it's the exact opposite to the Cav situation at Sky a few years ago.

But he did all that for them, only behind Valverde and maybe Alaphillippe in Ardennes and getting great stage race results with minimal help. He did exactly what they would've wanted from him. Why would they not offer to extend him?

death1234567

brocbrocach wrote: »

Why would they not offer to extend him?

Money. They couldn't afford him or Kittel anymore given that they kept alaphillipe, gaviria, gilbert and jungels.

dastardly00

brocbrocach wrote: »

But he did all that for them, only behind Valverde and maybe Alaphillippe in Ardennes and getting great stage race results with minimal help. He did exactly what they would've wanted from him. Why would they not offer to extend him?

Yeah I agree.
Surely the best outcome for QuickStep would be to keep the status quo with Dan racing for them next season.
It doesn't make sense that they didn't want to hold contract talks with Dan Unless Dan had stated previously that he would leave if he didn't get more help from the team in a GT.

brocbrocach

death1234567 wrote: »

Money. They couldn't afford him or Kittel anymore given that they kept alaphillipe, gaviria, gilbert and jungels.

I know they're classics focused but Terpstra, Gilbert, Stybar are top-heavy for cobbles and Gaviria and Viviani are top-heavy for sprinting.
I wonder would Dan be on a few million?

Pudsy33

brocbrocach wrote: »

I know they're classics focused but Terpstra, Gilbert, Stybar are top-heavy for cobbles and Gaviria and Viviani are top-heavy for sprinting.
I wonder would Dan be on a few million?

Given his palmares I reckon he'd command 1.5 million or more. That's what I've heard anyway

dastardly00

death1234567 wrote: »

Money. They couldn't afford him or Kittel anymore given that they kept alaphillipe, gaviria, gilbert and jungels.

But you'd think Lefevre would offer him some sort of a contract, even with a crap salary and see how Dan would react, rather than just not offering anything?

neris

heres a link to that audio interview

https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast/status/899599261528199169

mcgratheoin

brocbrocach wrote: »

But he did all that for them, only behind Valverde and maybe Alaphillippe in Ardennes and getting great stage race results with minimal help. He did exactly what they would've wanted from him. Why would they not offer to extend him?

Because there were offers from other teams that they knew they couldn't match.

MPFGLB

of course Lefevere would keep Martin if he could but he could not match the double salary that Martin's agent got at UAE so he decided not to negiotate

Hence he made no offer ...its just his way of saying that his priority is classics and sprinters

He is not a GC man at all....he is in the Belgian market primarily

brocbrocach

Doubling his salary is some work. At least if he's selling his soul to the oil men, he's selling it for good money!

gordongekko

Sorry for dragging up an old thread but didn't know where to put this but he said today that his misses us having twins. So congrats Dan and jess

Kaisr Sose

gordongekko wrote: »

Sorry for dragging up an old thread but didn't know where to put this but he said today that his misses us having twins. So congrats Dan and jess

With that news and Philip Lizzie Deignana, there are going to be a lot of babies born with serious sporting DNA....

dastardly00

A massive congrats to Dan and his wife Jess on the birth of twin girls!


https://twitter.com/DanMartin86/status/1042466491692720129


http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/dan-martin-birth-twin-girls/

McTigs

Congratulations Dan....... on having a wife way better looking than you.

Macy0161

Wasn't sure where to post, and sure Dan is still the man, so...

The Cycling Podcast has an interview with Jeroen Swart, who's now with UAE as medical director, which seems to include biomechanics and they discuss TT's and Dan's impressive result already. Talks of using wind tunnels coming up - could be great for Dan to have proper support to address an obvious weakness.

I did hear Dan mention the wind tunnel in an interview before a stage of the Valencia race recently, and mentioning his form felt good. Seemed to be focusing on the upcoming UAE tour.

neris

Saying the ras should go back to it roots and be an amateur Irish club event

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/dan-martin-ras-tailteann/