Dan Martin will start Il Lombardia tomorrow hoping to repeat his win of 2014 and will feel confident after finishing Milano-Torino in 11th place. Despite not being in the select group from which the winner emerged, the Irishman impressed with his huge power output, which saw the Quick-Step Floors rider hit a one-minute peak power of 555W, a good omen ahead of the “Race of the Falling Leaves.”
“I think my condition is a lot better than I expected, you could see that on Thursday,” said Martin. “I tried to stay focused since the Tour, although I have had a long time off because of my back.
“I feel good and I ride without big pressure. I have had a fantastic season, but I am motivated to finish on a high note with the team because it has been two fantastic years for me here. I really loved my time here and it has been fun riding with these great guys. It has really motivated me the last 3-4 weeks to come to Il Lombardia in good shape to end my time at Quick-Step Floors in a good way.”
“Lombardia is always a long, hard race, but I am looking forward to it every year. Last year, I think the course was a bit too hard, which took away the essence of the race, but this season it’s really a typical Lombardia”, said Martin when asked about the parcours of the 111th edition.
“There’s the Madonna del Ghisallo, the Muro di Sormano and the two hard climbs in the end. Muro di Sormano is the hardest part of the race, really a brutal, brutal climb peaking with about 50 kilometres to go, and it will be very important to survive this climb to make a good result in the final, which I am hoping for and believing I can do.”
In 2017, the Irishman was one of the most consistent riders out there, the remarkable run of results he has enjoyed since February being underlined by his eighth place in the World Tour rankings, where he is the best-placed Quick-Step Floors rider. Now, as his season is nearing conclusion, Martin is ready to put on another trademark aggressive display in Il Lombardia, one of his favourite races of the year.
“It is a really special race for me this one, I have been twice on the podium and now it’s my last appearance for Quick-Step Floors. We will see how it goes, but I will surely enjoy it and do my very best to get a good last result with this amazing team! We might not have the strongest guy of the race in the squad, but we have strength in numbers and we are all confident and motivated to do a strong race”, said the 31-year-old, one of the only two Irishmen to come out at the top of the “Race of the Falling Leaves” since it was created, back in 1905.
For his final event with Quick-Step Floors, Martin will be accompanied by Julian Alaphilippe – one of the protagonists in this week’s Milano-Torino, where he launched a daring solo attack with 20 kilometers to go – Gianluca Brambilla (another rider to make his final outing in the Quick-Step Floors jersey, after five successful years), Laurens De Plus, Dries Devenyns, two-time Il Lombardia winner Philippe Gilbert, best young rider of Tirreno-Adriatico and Giro d’Italia Bob Jungels and Pieter Serry.
Quick Step Floors for Il Lombardia (ITA) 1.UWT
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Gianluca Brambilla (ITA)
Laurens De Plus (BEL)
Dries Devenyns (BEL)
Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
Bob Jungels (LUX)
Daniel Martin (IRL)
Pieter Serry (BEL)
