Three more years for Martínez

Despite admitting he's approaching the twilight of his career, 33-year-old Egoi Martínez has no plans to retire anytime soon. If everything goes to plan, the former Discovery Channel rider envisages staying in the professional peloton 'till the end of the 2014 season.

"I know I'm approaching the end of my career", he intimated to DEIA. "But I'm still motivated to perform, so I'll do my best to keep at it for as long as possible. I'll do this season and probably two more after that."

Martínez went on to say that "training and taking care of my body" is harder now than it has been in the past. Yet what worries him the most is what he'll fill his life with after hanging up the bike.

"It'll be hard to find a job that gives me the same level of satisfaction riding my bike does. That will be tough", he said.

Unlike most of his companions and compatriots, Martínez will start off 2012 at the Vuelta a Andalucía. After Andalucía, he'll embark on a packed spring calendar: Tirreno-Adriatico, Milano-San Remo, Critérium International, GP Miguel Indurain, Vuelta al País Vasco, the three Ardennes Classics and the Tour de Romandie.

GP Indurain and País Vasco will be his main goals in the first half of the season. The second part will be exclusively centred on the Tour de France. Unlike other years though, he won't go on to the Vuelta after completing the Tour.

"As it looks, I'll only do the Tour this year, not the Vuelta. I've done both of them the last seven years, so that will be different. What my calendar will look like after the Tour depends on my state of form and the needs of the team".