Dan Martin, who Team Garmin-Slipstream had hoped could win the Tour de France’s best young rider jersey, is out of the Tour with knee tendinitis, the Boulder-based team announced Thursday.
Martijn Maaskant of the Netherlands will take his place.
Martin, the 22-year-old Irishman and nephew of Ireland’s only Tour de France winner, Stephen Roche, started experiencing knee pain earlier in the week. The 96th Tour begins Saturday in Monaco.
“Of course, I would have loved to start the Tour, but I want what is best for the team,” Martin said in a statement. “The medical staff and directors have been incredibly supportive, but at this point we’ve exhausted all of our resources. I wish the outcome would have been different, but Martijn is in great form and will be a strong replacement.”
Martin won best young rider this year in placing third at the Tour of the Mediterranean and won Ireland’s national road race championship last year. Maaskant, 25, helped Garmin-Slipstream win this year’s team time trial at the Tour of Qatar. He also took fourth at Paris-Roubaix last year and won the 2007 Tour de Normandie.
“Dan has shown outstanding grace and character as we have gone through the decision process,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports. “He wants what is best for the team.”
Footnote.
According to an Associated Press story, all 180 riders for the Tour have undergone prerace blood tests. Nine riders from each of the 20 teams were tested Thursday.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
