Daniel Martínez upbeat after Paris-Nice podium: "My performance was good"

INEOS Grenadiers didn't come out of Paris-Nice with a win however having finished third and fourth at the overall classification and being an active team in the race, frequently on the attack, they didn't come out of a rough week in France empty handed.

"Today was a hard stage. The plan was to try and win the stage and stay on the podium, or move further up on the podium," he said. Having attacked in the Côte de Peille Martínez was looking to do serious damage, however found a quick response from the Jumbo-Visma duo who neutralized the offensive of INEOS. Martínez was nevertheless still in a favourable position. In the descent, he punctured and found himself alone with no chance of returning to the head of the race, quickly his ambitions changed and he focused in a different goal.

"Until the last climb it was good as we were in a group of five guys. But I punctured a rear wheel and that changed everything. I lost time, and in my head I had only one goal, which was to catch Nairo Quintana, as he put my podium at risk."

"When we caught him and we knew the stage was gone, I was happy to take the podium. I’m also happy because my performance was good," he concluded. After putting in a dig again in the final climb Martínez went clear on the descent with a few more riders from the chasing group, eventually catching up with Quintana who had lost contact with the leading group and later struggled on the slightly wet descent back to Nice. Martínez then sealed the podium ahead of Adam Yates who finished alongside him in the chasing group.

After a podium at the Volta ao Algarve, Paris-Nice and the national time-trial championships, Mart´´ínez has had a very successful start to the year. It is unclear now what the next race on his schedule will be however it is expected that he will return to either Volta a Catalunya and Itzulia Basque Country.