FOR THOSE OF US WHO BEGAN their cycling story from early childhood, most grew up with the notion that professional cyclists were akin to superheroes.
Especially from non cycling-centric countries like Australia, Great Britain and America, the ‘Euro Dogs’ were cut from a different cloth; larger than life figures that we could see in outdated magazines or on scratchy video cassettes, but could not touch.
Daniel Martin was different.
“I was educated that it’s not superhuman to be a professional bike rider. It’s just normal,” the now retired Irishman told the Guardian last October, upon release of his autobiography chronicling his 14 years in the pro peloton, Chased by Pandas.
“Even though I was useless in 2005, and struggling at the back of races, I still knew I was going to end up at the Tour. Since I started riding at 14 it was recognised, because of the way I
