Dan Martin has described modern cycling as “boring” and “prescriptive”, arguing that racing has become so professionalised that “freedom of expression” has all-but disappeared.
Martin, a relentless attacker and roller of the dice over his 14-year career, identified two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar as an exception but also warned that the new wave of young talents might have shorter careers.
In interviews with The Guardian (opens in new tab) and Irish Independent (opens in new tab) to promote his new autobiography, Martin addressed the idea that racing was better back when he was starting out as a pro.
“It’s the freedom of expression as well. That freedom to attack. Racing is quite boring to watch now as nobody makes mistakes any more,” Martin told The Guardian.
“Everything is so fine-tuned you don’t see guys having bad days. Everybody is nutritionally perfect, training is perfect, and it’s lacking that human element. Racing has become quite prescriptive.”
In the Irish Independent, he added: “You don’t need to have a brain to be a pro now.”
Martin did acknowledge that his opinion might be an unpopular one, noting a current wave of enthusiasm among fans for a new generation that includes Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Wout Van Aert, (Jumbo-Visma) and others.
“Even though people say it’s the best racing ever, it’s really down to Pogačar,” Martin said. “He is the loose cannon who attacks whenever he feels like it, whereas the rest of the racing is so scripted and controlled.”
Martin won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2013 and Il Lombardia in 2014, showcasing his instinctive style of racing. Even though he finished top-10 in the Tour de France three years in a row between 2016 and 2018, his style stood in stark contrast to the way Team Sky (now Ineos Grenadiers) were dominating the race in that period.
Martin revealed that he’d been rejected by Dave Brailsford’s outfit towards the start of his career, and then rejected them himself when they came knocking at his door in 2018.
“I remembered why I never wanted to be part of Team Sky – I loved the attacking style of racing above all,” Martin said.
“I always came back to my philosophy as to why I raced. For enjoyment. If I need to live like a monk to be a good bike rider, I don’t want to do it. Maybe if I had gone to Tenerife and lived in a volcano at altitude for three weeks before the Tour de France every year I might have been a bit…
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