The World time trial champion crashed heavily towards the end of Saturday’s stage and was taken to hospital after crossing the line. He was later diagnosed with a concussion and contusion on his left lung. There was also tissue damage on his hip, left knee, shoulder and back.
Despite the string of injuries a team spokesperson told Cyclingnews that Martin would start and that the rider had been cleared by the team’s medical staff.
“He will start,” said the spokesperson.
“This morning he’s smiling. I won't say he's relaxed because of what he went through, but he has been able to eat and last night he was able to sleep. It’s hard to say if he can finish the stage today but the most important thing is to try. He’s put a lot of energy into this race. If he doesn’t feel good he’ll stop."
Cyclingnews then asked about Martin’s concussion, which could have left the rider unable to start.
“The health of our riders is the most important thing. The team doctor said he can start though.”
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
