UAE Team Emirates Dan Martin to target general classification at Tour de France

David Cooper - Writer 16:51 29/06/2018
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  • Dan Martin will target the general classification at the Tour de France but his UAE Team Emirates squad will have split ambitions with sprinter Alexander Kristoff also named in the squad.

    Irishman Martin is looking to build on his 2017 performance when he finished sixth in the Tour despite racing for almost two weeks with two broken vertebrae in his back after a crash on stage nine.

    “Since I signed for Team UAE, the big goal has been the Tour de France,” said Martin, who last year rode for Quick-Step Floors.

    “I plan to take the race day by day, stage by stage and try to achieve the best results possible. It’s really a race of two halves and the first nine days will be very tricky bringing different challenges each day, but I’m confident we have a great team that can get me to the mountains in a good position to have a bit of fun.”

    Martin has had some encouraging results in the build-up to the race, finishing 10th overall in the Tour de Romandie and fourth in the Criterium du Dauphine.

    “Everything has gone well since the Dauphine and I’m just looking forward to getting started,” he said.

    There is no place for Yorkshireman Ben Swift in the team, with ambitions split between Martin’s general classification bid and European champion Kristoff in the sprints.

    “This is the biggest race in the world.” Kristoff said. “The event where you get all the best cyclists, the best sprinters. I am going to France determined to get the best result possible and, if possible, a stage victory.”

    The eight-man team is completed by Marco Mercato, Rory Sutherland, Roberto Ferrari, Oliviero Troia, Darwin Atapuma and Kristijan Durasek.

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