Tony Martin gets the win for Germany on the day his country won the World Cup in Brazil(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Martin adjustes his polka dot jersey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Teamwork: Tony Martin gives it everything for Michal Kwiatkowski (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tony Martin is close to extending with Omega Pharma-QuickStep for another two years. “We just need to exchange commas and full stops,” Martin’s agent Jörg Werner told Het Nieuwsblad.
Martin’s contract is up at the end of the season and there has been plenty of speculation as to his destination for 2015, but Martin indicated during his rest day press conference that he would prefer to stay at Omega Pharma-QuickStep. The Belgian newspaper reports that Martin and his agent sat down in Besancon to discuss the extension on Tuesday. Martin joined the team in 2012 after the demise of HTC-Highroad. Since joining them he has won two more world time trial championships and has helped them to the inaugural two team time trial world titles.
The German powerhouse has had a very strong Tour de France. He went on the attack on stage nine, dropping his break companion Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale) on the first category ascent of Le Markstein. He went on to win by almost three minutes over the chasing group. It was a move that his team boss Patrick Lefevere described as Merckx-like. The following day, Martin almost single-handedly bridged the gap to the escape group, with his teammate Michal Kwiatkowski in tow.
Martin’s main target of the individual time trial still lies ahead, on the penultimate day of the race. If he were to win it, it would be his most successful Tour de France in six attempts.
