Dan Martin, Uncle StephenDan Martin (left) talks with his uncle Stephen Roche (right) during the 2008 Tour Med in February. Photo courtesy of Thierry Aimar.

Young Dan Martin now has one thing in common with his famous cycling uncle. Both Dan and his uncle Stephen Roche have won the Route du Sud.

“Sure, it had a different name then (Tour Midi-Pyrénées), but I won it I think in ‘85,” said Stephen, Irish cycling legend who in 1987, won the world championships, the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. “It’s great to see Dan, a young one still, win this stage race his first year pro. He was an unknown and saw the opportunity and took it. ”

“Of course, I know where he comes from. He has all the qualities of a good rider - light, can time trial, smart,” said Stephen, who said that Dan was still too young and undeveloped for something like the Tour de France. “You can’t put that kind of pressure on a young rider. You have to let a rider like Dan mature, master the fundamentals, get stronger. Then he’ll find his own way of putting it all together.”

Though Stephen said that he hadn’t had many opportunities to advise his nephew, he did tell Dan his position was wrong during the Tour Med in February (pictured above).