One week after winning the prestigious Route du Sud stage race, Daniel Martin confirmed his exceptional talent with an utterly dominant win in the Irish national road race championships in Midleton, Co Cork.
The 21-year-old nephew of Stephen Roche was in the thick of the action from the word go, getting into a break in the first 10 kms.
This group was clear for the next 65 kms, and while they were then reeled in by a large group containing most of the race favourites, Martin was able to get up to a subsequent break formed by Paídi O’Brien (An Post/M. Donnelly/Grant Thornton/Sean Kelly) and Brian Kenneally (MyHome.ie).
The trio rode together until the penultimate lap where, with a vicious attack on the long Saleen climb, Martin broke the other two.
He soloed the remaining 25kms to the line, opening up a three-minute lead over silver medallist O'Brien and Kenneally.
Martin's dominant display also won him the Irish under-23 title, while Sam Bennett (Dan Morrissey) beat Charles Prendergast (Mayo Wheelers) to take the junior title.
