“I am very pleased with this result”, Martin said. “After a long winter and at the beginning of a new season, you never know where you stand with regards to your physical shape. I had a great feeling during the whole time trial, I could keep my pace really well and this third place is a good start. I did not really expect it because the climb was a little too steep for me. But I could manage on power. It is a result that I, and also the team, can continue to build on.”

Martin continued: “Today was a special day. A new team, a new environment, everything is new to me. But I feel very good in this team, the equipment is great and the preparation was perfect.”

Sports director Sierk-Jan de Haan concurred with Martin. “We can certainly build on this result. It was a very difficult course with the last seven hundred and fifty meters at a gradient of ten percent. But both Tony and Jos did very well. It was mainly a matter of dividing power and not blowing up the engine on the climb. This is a great start and hopefully we can continue this flow in the next days towards the sprints with Dylan.”