Etixx-Quick Step signs Dan Martin on two-year contract
After 10 seasons with the Garmin team, Dan Martin leaves to sign a two-year deal with Etixx-Quick-Step

Dan Martin on stage ten of the 2015 Tour de France
Dan Martin will move from Cannondale-Garmin to Etixx-Quick Step in a two year deal, the Belgian team announced on Friday.
Martin, 29, has been with the Garmin team since joining as a trainee in 2007 and becomes the second long-serving rider to leave the team in the space of a week, with Ryder Hesjedal joining Trek.
With Rigoberto Uran seemingly on his way out at Etixx, CEO Patrick Lefevere was keen to improve his general classification options and Martin certainly fits the bill.
"The arrival of Dan Martin is an important moment for the team," Lefevere said. "He's a guy who was able in the past to win one-day races, but also stage races. He has also been a GC contender at grand tours during his career. He is now 29-years-old, so he is at the peak of his career."
Lefevere sees Martin as a contender for stage races, but also to bolster their Ardennes Classics squad, with the hope that young Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe can learn from the Irishman who won Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2013.
"I think I am entering an important moment of my career at my age," Martin said. "I feel I am stronger than ever, mentally and physically. Of course my season will be built around the Ardennes Classics, where I can join forces with Alaphilippe.
"I hope to teach him some things and help him to evolve as a rider, while playing protagonist when I have the opportunity."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Martin is currently racing with Cannondale-Garmin at the Vuelta a España, where he finished second on Thursday's stage to Esteban Chaves, having finished fourth on stage two.
Cannondale-Garmin announced the signing of Pierre Rolland on Thursday, who will fill one of the holes left by the departure of Martin and Hesjedal, with manager Jonathan Vaughters likely keen to add more names before the new season.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
-
Why pay more for a mass-produced bike? Custom frames are more attractive than ever
The custom frame market has a lot to offer, including, in some cases, a better riding experience for less
By Joe Baker Published
-
From 3 open heart surgeries to a 350-mile ride at age 69: how biking saved a father and his son
With 20 daily meds and more surgeries looming, Donnie Seals Sr. needed a change. The unexpected solution? A bicycle.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
Lachlan Morton raises over $200,000 for Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund with mega bike ride
EF Education-EasyPost rider cycles 1064km from Munich to Ukraine border in 42 hours
By Adam Becket Last updated
-
Abi Smith on the WorldTour, art and nerding out
In the last in our series on the new crop of young British female women riders Owen Rogers talks to 2022 WorldTour debutant Abi Smith
By Owen Rogers Published
-