Daily Times

PARIS: Dan Martin who won stages on all three of cycling’s Grand Tours announced he would retire at the end of 2021 after 14 years as a professional.Martin was the first major signing for Israel Cycling Academy and in their colours in May won a stage on the Giro d’Italia to add to two each on the Tour de France and the VueltaaEspana.He also won two of cycling’s monuments (ultra-long one-day races), Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia.Martin released a lengthy statement on Twitter on Saturday explaining the sense of fun had gone from cycling, for him, and he wished to be a better father and partner while focussing on a business venture.”I will always be a cyclist, I won’t hang up my bike, just my racing number,” said the father of two-year-old twins who is married to distance runner Jess Martin.”I’m also looking forwards to being more present as a father, like going for a run with my wife,” he said.The 35-year-old Martin is nephew of Irish cycling great Stephen Roche who won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and world championships in 1987.