No Tour for Dan Martin, will focus on the Vuelta
Although he won a stage last year and looked set for a top 10 overall until he became sick, Dan Martin has confirmed that he has decided to miss this year’s Tour de France.
The Irish Garmin-Sharp rider crashed out on stage one of the Giro d’Italia on May 9th and while his fractured collarbone has healed, he is yet to resume racing. As a result he believes it is better to focus more on the Vuelta a España and the World Championships.
“For me, I prefer to be 100 percent ready for the next Grand Tour . I wasn’t ready in time to do the Tour de Suisse, so I wouldn’t have had a big race before the Tour.”
“I think I am quite fit now but I am not anywhere near good enough to be contesting stages or whatever at the Tour. It is better just to refocus and rather than rush into something, really give myself time to prepare properly for the Vuelta.” Martin said yesterday.
Martin will ride the Irish national road race championships on Sunday, then compete in the Tour of Austria and Tour of Poland prior to the start of the Vuelta a España in Jerez de la Frontera on August 23rd.