Daniel Martin: Rider Profile

Dan Martin will lead the Garmin-Sharp team at the 2014 Giro d'Italia, the first time the Irishman has targeted GC in a Grand Tour.

Daniel Martin, stage winner, Vuelta a Espana 2011, stage nine

DANIEL MARTIN

Date of birth: 20/08/1986

From: Great Britain (holds Irish nationality)

Team: Cannondale-Garmin

Previous teams: n/a

Daniel Martin career profile

Dan Martin is one of Cannondale-Garmin's most prolific riders with wins in the 2013 Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Tour de France and 2014 Tour of Lombardy.

Martin won the British national junior road race title in 2004, but changed to Irish nationality soon afterwards, frustrated with British Cycling’s focus on track cycling at the time.

A promising amateur, Martin rode for the VC La Pomme amateur team in France in 2007, a breeding ground in southern France for future professionals. Martin quickly revealed himself as a strong climber, winning several races in 2007 as well as the mountains classification at the Ronde de l’Isard.

Joining the Garmin team for the 2008 season, Martin impressed many with the ease with which he adapted to the professional ranks, helped along the way by his team-mate and fellow Girona resident, David Millar.

In June of 2008, Martin won the prestigious Route du Sud stage-race in France, traditionally used by many as last-minute preparation for the Tour de France. Martin also took the Irish national road race title as well as fourth overall at the Tour of Britain to conclude what was a mightily impressive first season as a professional.

Martin took overall glory, as well as a stage victory in the 2010 Tour of Poland.

The following season, in 2011, Martin again rode well in the Tour of Poland, winning a stage and placing second overall. He followed this up with his first Grand Tour stage victory in the Vuelta a Espana, riding away from his rivals on the mountain-top finish for a strong win.

Martin enjoyed a strong start to 2013, winning a stage and the overall in Volta a Catalunya and taking the victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. He followed this with a fine win on stage nine of the Tour de France, a tough day in the Pyrenees.

After a difficult 2014 season that saw him crash in Liege-Bastogne-Liege just as he looked to have the win sewn up, and then crash out of the Giro d'Italia, Martin finished the year with a flourish, winning the Tour of Lombardy.

Daniel Martin results
2014
Tour of Lombardy

2013
Volta a Catalunya; stage four

Volta a Catalunya; overall

Liege-Bastogne-Liege

Tour de France; stage nine

2012

Tour of Beijing; mountains classification

2011
Giro della Toscana

Tour of Poland; stage six

Vuelta a Espana; stage nine

2010
Tour of Poland; stage five

Tour of Poland; overall

Tre Valli Varesine

2009
Tour of the Mediterranean; young riders' classification

2008
Route du Sud; overall

Irish national road race champion

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