World champion says route favours climbers, but that the flat and downhills could enable him to make up lost time
He already went metres from taking a stage win in this Vuelta a España, being clear for the entirety of stage six to Caceres before being caught just before the line.
It was a stunning effort and gained him many new fans. Now Tony Martin has another opportunity tomorrow, and has said that after seeing the course today, that he has greater confidence that he might be able to do something special.
Martin rode the route of the 38.8 kilometre stage eleven time trial that the riders will compete in tomorrow, and feels it is more suited to him than he first thought.
“I was surprised in a positive way about the parcours,” he said, giving his reaction. “When I checked the profile at the beginning of La Vuelta I thought it was too hard with the climb in the middle, the Alto de Moncayo.
“But today we went there and it is actually not so bad. The first seven kilometres are a bit up and down, and then there's the climb. But it's not really super steep.”
The stage is held on roads that rise from the start until the top of the third category Alto de Moncayo climb, just shy of halfway through. After that they are downhill to the finish.
Martin believes the profile will suit the uphill specialists, but that it also offers him enough to make it worthwhile for him to dig deep.
“I think this is a TT for the climbers, but I can still have my chance. I will give it a try,” he said. “Also the descent following the climb is really fast, not so technical, and the last ten kilometers are flat and slowly downhill. So that is good for me and my power.
“It's also a matter of distributing my effort throughout the parcours.”
Whatever happens, he sees a good reason to floor it and give it everything. “I think this will be good training for me leading up to Worlds,” he explained, referring to his bid to win a third gold medal in Firenze in September. “I will do my best for a good result.”