Dan Martin Interview: Irish climber set to scale new heights in 2010

Check-out an in-depth profile of Garmin-Transitions’ former Irish national champion Dan Martin in an interview with Velonation.

2010 is going to be a very important year for Irishman Dan Martin, who in his first two pro seasons has marked himself out as one of the top young talents in the sport. The climbing specialist is aiming to ride his first Tour de France as support for Garmin Transitions leader Christian Vande Velde and, if he is selected, should learn a lot about the race and lay the foundation for his own future campaigns.

Martin has been highlighted as a future star by team manger Jonathan Vaughters, who earnestly believes that he will leave his mark on the sport. Vaughters states that while it is too soon to know if Martin can bid for overall glory in three-week Tours, he is confident that his glittering climbing abilities will – at the very least – help the rider compete strongly in other events, such as the hilly Classics.

As proof of that, Vaughters has pointed to Martin’s performances in the 2009 GP Ouest France and Giro di Lombardia, where he was fifth and eighth respectively.

Martin first highlighted his ability as a professional rider when, in his first pro season and at a mere 21 years of age, he won the mountainous Route du Sud. In doing so, he rode with panache and confidence to beat experienced riders such as Christophe Moreau. He also followed in the footsteps of Vaughters, who triumphed there back in 1999.

Confidence on a high, he dominated the Irish championships one week later. He then went on to post a number of other strong results, including tenth in the Tour of Portugal and fourth in the Tour of Britain.

Last season Martin continued his progression in the sport. He finished third overall in the Tour of the Mediterranean and then went on to stun the field in the ProTour Volta a Catalunya event, attacking race leader Alejandro Valverde and finishing second on a mountain stage. He ended the race second overall.

Read the entire interview on Velonation.

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