"For a moment I thought about stopping": Dani Martinez overcomes crash to secure second overall at Paris-Nice

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe capped off a wildly successful week of racing with Daniel Martinez securing a hard-fought second place overall at Paris-Nice. The Colombian rider had to dig incredibly deep on the final stage after a painful collision with his own teammate threatened to derail his entire race.

Martinez's foundation for success was laid early in the race. During the stage three team time trial, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe helped force the first major selection in the general classification. The very next day, the team thrived in the brutal wind and rain, blowing the race apart and catapulting Martinez into a podium position.

However, disaster nearly struck on the final stage. While trying to move up in the peloton during a high-paced climb, Martinez was accidentally bumped by his teammate, Laurence Pithie. The resulting crash left the Colombian battered, bruised, and contemplating abandoning the race entirely.

“It was a really strong week for the whole team – everyone did a great job," Martinez explained in a team statement. "Unfortunately I crashed on the final day. The pace was very high on the second climb and I tried to move up towards the front when I went down and hurt my ribs and my arm. For a moment I thought about stopping, but thanks to the support of my teammates I was able to continue and make it to the finish.”

Zak Dempster, the Chief of Sports for the team, was thrilled with the collective strength and aggressive tactics his squad displayed throughout the week.

"The team has been front and centre all week, committing to bold plans and racing with real intent," Dempster noted. "That’s the result of a lot of hard work over the winter from everyone across the team to be ready for moments like this. There’s plenty we can be proud of, but at the same time our ambitions are clear – we know there’s more to come, and we’ll keep pushing for it in the races ahead.”