Richmond, United States: Tony Martin says he is ready to challenge for a record-tying fourth world individual time trial title and help Etixx Quick Step recapture the team crown at the World Road Cycling Championships.
The 30-year-old German took his final scouting and training ride on Saturday over the 38.8km course where his squad will try to dethrone BMC Racing and claim a third team title in four years.
“The training today helped us get even more ready,” Martin said. “We brought a very strong team. In the last weeks we did a great job turning every individual world class rider into part of a unit. I think we are ready to show ourselves tomorrow.”
Martin will be joined by reigning world road race champion Michael Kiwatkowski of Poland, Belgians Tom Boonen and Yves Lampaert, Dutchman Niki Terpstra and Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran, the 2012 Olympic road race runner-up.
“We’ll see what we can do,” Martin said. “I’m excited to do my best with my teammates in the race against the clock.”
Crucial to Martin’s bid to repeat his 2012 and 2013 feat of a team and solo time trial world sweep is the build-up he has had in Richmond over the past few days.
“It’s no secret that since the Tour de France I’ve been focused on the team time trial and the individual time trial,” Martin said. “The last three days were important here -- how I handled the travel, the jet lag and the preparation.
“My last races before worlds were incredibly hard, especially the ones in Canada. Those were some of the hardest one-day races I’ve ever done. So it was important for me to take it a little easy here, in order to go into tomorrow as fresh as possible.”
That will be crucial if Martin is to be ready for Wednesday’s 53km individual time trial, where a fourth crown in five years would match the all-time record held by Swiss star Fabian Cancellara.
“I think the team and I did a good job in handling my condition,” Martin said. “Today I had really good legs. I’m sure I will have the same or better condition tomorrow.”
Last year, Martin was second in the individual time trial to Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, now retired from road racing, and Etixx Quick Step was third behind BMC and Orica Green Edge, hoping to move up after back-to-back runner-up efforts.
Martin says the team course will offer smooth wide roads and only a small climb to the finish, making for tension from start to finish and even the slightest error potentially dooming a title bid.
“Every moment will be important,” Martin said. “You have to be perfect from start to finish. Every mistake can be the difference, whether in a corner, a small hill, anywhere.
“From the start, you have to be super concentrated, but at the same time don’t go too hard to where you kill the team straight away. If you do that, and you’re already tired from the start, you can make a mistake.”AFP
