Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin)
Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin)
The ‘luck of the Irish’ hasn’t been with Birmingham-born Irishman Dan Martin at times over the last 12 months, not least last year’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Martin looked set to take victory in the race to successfully defend his 2013 win, but skidded out on the last corner and crashed.
We were reminded of that misfortune – and the Giro d’Italia stage one crash which followed to take him out of the race – at La Fleche Wallonne earlier this week, when a low-speed collision saw him hit the deck.
Having finished in the front group at the Amstel Gold Race, Wednesday’s crash couldn’t have come at a worse time for last year’s Giro di Lombardia winner, just as he looked to be coming to form for La Doyenne.
The crash forced an early end to Martin’s bid for a maiden Fleche Wallonne victory, but his Cannondale-Garmin team said he retired to give him the best chance of recovering for Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Should he do so, he will race as one of the favourites thanks to his 2013 win and near miss last year. If Martin is on form, you know he will be there or there abouts.
Martin said he has tears in his eyes after hitting the deck last year, but he will hope they are tears of joy this time out.
Form guide
Best Liege-Bastogne-Liege result: Winner (2013)
2015 season highlights: Volta a Catalunya (tenth overall).
Current UCI WorldTour ranking: 66th