In the eleventh year as a professional, Paul Martens has finally made it. The German was selected by his team LottoNL-jumbo for the Tour de France. At the age of 31, Martens will be a debutant at the race when it starts on July 4 and he makes no secret about his relief.

"The fear of possibly never be able to ride the Tour had grown in recent years but I never stopped hoping," the classics specialist told Radsport-News.com. Since joining Rabobank in 2008 he has done three Vuelta and two Giri but has never been considered for the biggest cycling race in the world. Now it finally worked which is a sign of "great appreciation of my work by the team."

The experienced German recommended himself not only with a strong spring season. Due to the scaphoid fracture he suffered at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he had several weeks of rest. He probably laid the foundation for the Tour debut at the 2013 Giro and last year's Vuelta. 

"Since I was an important factor for the GC riders and also achieved results," said Martens, who, like many other professionals, has prepared himself at a high altitude training camp in Spanish Sierra Nevada preparing and returned to racing at the Tour de Suisse.

"Actually, it was already clear before before the Tour de Suisse that I will be there but we wanted to see how it was with me after my injury," he said. Everything went well and so the first Tour participation is now guaranteed

At the season highlight, Martens will have to perform tasks similar to those in his other three-week tours, namely "help and possibly take advantage of opportunities. I'll probably get some freedom, "he added but also admitted that he will have to do so on his own. "I do not really need further assistance," he said.

It may have played a role that LottoNL-Jumbo have decided not to bring a sprinter and will focus entirely on the GC for which four candidates were nominated: Wilco Kelderman - another Tour debutant -, Robert Gesink, Steven Kruiswijk and Laurens Ten Dam. 

"This is definitely to spread the risks so it is rather an advantage than a disadvantage," Martens replied to the question of whether it could pose problems to have so many leaders. "All four have shown that they can finish in the top ten, and that's also the pre-race target."

Martens will have its last race before the Tour on Sunday at the German Championships. A few days later he will travel to Utrecht where the Grand Départ will take place next Saturday. 

"Still, I'm not nervous. I have already experienced enough in cycling. But I think I will get excited during the Tour start in the Netherlands where there will be much focus on our team," he added.