Daniel Felipe Martinez: "I need to regain confidence in myself"

Daniel Felipe Martinez broke through internationally as one of the talents of EF and later INEOS. In 2024, his first year with his current team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, he finished second in the Giro d'Italia and played an important role in Primož Roglič's overall victory in the Vuelta. However, last year his results were disappointing, and Martinez explains on camera for WielerFlits what caused this.

For Martinez, 2025 did not turn out to be the year he had hoped for; the 29-year-old Colombian did not have a top season. Physical issues turned out to be the cause. "Last year I was really sick, I had a bacteria in my stomach. Because of that, my form wasn’t good," he explains. Mentally, last season also left its mark on Martinez. "I need to regain confidence in myself."

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Martinez is cautiously optimistic. "My feeling is good, and I’ve changed my mindset for this year." For now, DFM has the hilly classics and the Tour de France on the program; in that Grand Tour, he will be expected to play an important role supporting team leaders Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz. This shows the team’s trust in Martinez. "They give me a lot of support," he admits.

That support already paid off in his first stage race of the year, where the Colombian finished seventh in the Volta ao Algarve, ahead of Lipowitz.