Martin delights at biggest career win

Dan Martin underlined his precocious talent by taking the biggest win of his fledgling career with a competent and matured display in the week-long Volta A Catalunya yesterday.

In winning what is regarded one of the most difficult early season stage races on the calendar, the Garmin-SHARP rider not only became just the second Irish rider to do so, but proved his stage-racing potential, which will now most likely see him lead his team at this year’s Tour de France in July.

Not since Sean Kelly in 1984 and 1986 has an Irish rider pulled on the leader’s jersey and Martin admitted he’s still trying to grasp the enormity of what he’s done.