LONG ROAD BACK
Martin will return to saddle for iconic L’Étape event
IT is more than two years since Dan Martin last sat in a saddle for a competitive race. At the time, he felt his passion for cycling was waning, that it almost became a chore to get on the bike and that was something he never wanted to happen.
A couple of years on, it seems he made the right decision. Martin talked to the Irish media yesterday to announce that the Tour de France is bringing its iconic L’Étape event to the hills of Killarney this September and he appeared more passionate now about the sport than when he was one of the most admired and gutsy competitors in the peloton, claiming three top-ten finishes on the nine occasions he competed in Le Tour.
L’Étape Ireland will take place on September 7th and give up to 3,000 cyclists the chance to sample the thrills and challenges of a Tour de France stage. ‘It will be a taste of the most famous bike race in the world,’ Martin says.
It had been hoped that the Grand Départ, which took place here in 1998, would return to Ireland this decade. Although those plans have been shelved, Martin hopes this event can lay the groundwork for Le Tour coming back to these shores.
‘It is a huge undertaking to have the Grand Départ and there’s a lot of competition because it is the biggest bike race in the world. This will give Ireland a taste of the race and we hope it can lead to the race coming back to Irish soil. That’s easier said than done but this is a great place to start,’ said Martin, one of only two Irish riders to have won a stage on all three Grand Tours, Sam Bennett being the other.
Martin believes a more pressing priority for the sport would be the return of the Tour of Ireland to the global cycling calendar, although he admits that may be problematic given there are few gaps in the schedule and the difficulty in organising a professional road race. He saw the issues with having such a race away from mainland Europe when he held an ambassadorial role with the Tour of Britain, problems that would be replicated here.
‘At the moment, this event [L’Étape] is the closest we will get.
I know there’s a desire to get professional road racing back here, but it is a little tricky with the environment in pro cycling now because it is a very crowded calendar. Getting all team vehicles and equipment to Ireland is also tricky.
‘Bringing the Tour of Ireland back is something we talk about a lot. There are people very interested in doing this, but it’s just about having the means to make it happen. I’d love to try and find
Passion: Dan Martin at the launch of L’Étape Ireland
a way of doing it, but it is a long, hard road,’ he explained before outlining some of the issues that affected the Tour of Britain. ‘Being part of the Tour of Britain, I saw the complications of getting teams across from mainland Europe. Add to that, pro riders are doing less and less race days and it’s really tricky to get top riders to come, unless it’s a World Tour race or a Grand Tour. Ireland has such a strong racing culture at amateur level and some great races, like the Rás, but getting to that next step is getting more tricky. I would love to think it is possible. Maybe the best place to start wouldn’t be a Tour of Ireland, it would be a one-day race, similar to what we’re doing with the Étape and go from there,’ he observed. As cycling continues to grow in Ireland, road safety has become a more significant issue and Martin pointed out that it was one of the reasons he retired.
‘That was certainly one of the reasons I retired. Even though we’re fortunate to live in Andorra, there are so many vehicles on the road now, going out on the bike every day, you do have near misses constantly, and that is scary.
‘The event in September is going to be on closed roads, probably the first time most people have ridden on closed roads,’ he pointed out. And people will also get the chance to test themselves against Martin, who confirmed he will get back on the bike for the event. All the while, sharing his deep passion and enthusiasm for the sport, which has only seemed to be enhanced by retirement.
L’Étape Ireland takes place on September 7th and riders can choose from two routes with different elevation and distance profiles, a 100km route or a more challenging 138km route.
Those who wish to take part are encouraged to register for early access to sign-up at https://ireland.letapebytourdefrance.com
“This will give Ireland a taste of the race”