Martin reduces ambitions for season start

Tony Martin, HTC-Columbia's surprise prodigy of the 2009 season, was over-ambitious with his winter training and injured his knee. The German is now going into the season with reduced ambitions for the first races.

Martin, 24, told the German press agency DPA, “I probably overdid it a bit with my winter training and injured a tendon in my knee.” He had to stop training for two weeks, and has only just returned to training, riding up to 100 kilometres a day.

He will open his season with the Mallorca Challenge, taking place from February 7-11, but has nevertheless reduced his ambitions for his first major test of the year, Paris-Nice (March 7-14).

Martin wore the white jersey as best young rider at the 2009 Tour de France for 12 days, and finished second on the Mont Ventoux stage. He finished second overall in the Tour de Suisse, where he also won a stage. Martin took the mountain jersey in both the Tour de Suisse and Paris-Nice.