Guillaume Martin

This is the page of Guillaume Martin, the French cyclist from Cofidis. The 29-year-old climber and general classification rider is known for his unrestrained attacking spirit. When he has a bad day as a GC rider, he tries to regain his place in the overall standings through an early breakaway. IDLProCycling.com keeps a close eye on all news related to Martin, along with maintaining a biography of his career.

Guillaume Martin

'The Cycling Philosopher' makes a definitive breakthrough in 2015

Born on June 9, 1993, Guillaume Martin made a name for himself in 2015 as an emerging talent. He claimed victory in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège for under-23 riders, out-sprinting future Giro d'Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart, among others. Later that year, he also won a stage in the Tour de l'Avenir. His outstanding performances in 2015 earned him a professional contract in 2016 with Wanty-Groupe Gobert (now Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), which was then a ProTour team.

Martin rode for Wanty from 2016 to 2019. Under the Belgian team, managed for many years by Hilaire Van der Schueren, he amassed a number of notable victories and finishes. For instance, in 2019, Martin added the Giro della Toscana to his list of achievements, topping the general classification ahead of cycling legends like Giovanni Visconti and Vincenzo Nibali. The Paris-born rider also frequently finished in the top-10 in several week-long stage races.

From January 1, 2020, 'the cycling philosopher', a nickname Martin earned due to his completed university degree in philosophy, joined the French WorldTour team Cofidis. 2020 was also the year Martin released a cycling book: "Socrates on the Bike". In this book, he reflects on life as a professional cyclist and draws parallels between everyday life and the cycling peloton.

Martin also engages in social discussions

In the colors of Cofidis, Martin has had respectable performances. In his first year with the French team, he immediately won the mountain classification in the Vuelta. Furthermore, in 2020, he finished third in the general classification of the Dauphiné. In 2022, he claimed the overall victory in the Tour de l'Ain.

In 2023, Martin didn't secure a win, though he came close on numerous occasions. He finished in the top ten in various French 1.1 races, including Paris-Camembert and the Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes. He also frequently achieved top-ten finishes in his favorite races, the Dauphiné and the Tour de France. However, victory eluded the ever-friendly cyclist, who concluded 2023 with a third place in the Japan Cup Cycle.

Martin is not shy about participating in public debates. For instance, in mid-November 2022, he raised concerns about the environmental impact of holding the Tour de France in July, emphasizing the effect of the peloton and its accompanying caravan on the climate. He also didn't hesitate to respond to Jumbo-Visma CEO Richard Plugge's comments on the professionalism of other teams. Martin argued that Jumbo-Visma's perceived greater professionalism over other (WorldTour) teams mainly comes from having more financial resources.