Dan Martin: The Tour de France starts today

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Daniel Martin in the middle of a Cannondale-Garmin sandwich (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

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Cannondale-Garmin's Dan Martin descends. (Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)

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Daniel Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) climbing (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

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The Cannondale Garmin riders formed a congratulatory huddle together as soon as they arrived back from the TTT (Image credit: Robin Wilmott/Immediate Media)

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Captain America, Andrew Talansky starts his time trial (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Dan Martin's Tour de France began with a steady ride in the Utrecht time trial on Saturday but the Irishman's focus is already been dialled in on the road race stages and especially stage 3, which finishes atop the Mur de Huy in Belgium.

Video: Dan Martin aiming for Mur de Huy redemption in Tour de France

Tour de France: Cannondale-Garmin look to spread risk and reap rewards

"It's the old cliché but you really have to take it day-by-day. I can't start thinking about Monday because I could end up in a ditch first. We have the best team possible for the flat stages in order to protect us. This group has been together since the Dauphiné and every day we're gelling more and more. I'm confident that they'll get us to mountains in one piece and still in contention. That's when the GC race starts proper."