By Shane Stokes
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 ten kilometres. These were clear for the next 65 kilometres, 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 25 kilometres to the line, opening up a three minute five second lead over silver medallist O'Brien and Kenneally. Martin's dominant display also won him the Irish under 23 title.
