After two years of doing Tirreno-Adriatico, Tony Martin will return to Paris-Nice in 2015 and the German wants to be just as strong as he was in 2011 when he won the race overall. "Not necessarily the overall victory, but a good result overall," is his goal for the Race to the Sun as he tells radsport-news.com at the Etixx-QuickStep team presentation in Calpe.

"I don't want to be more specific because then you become vulnerable. But I want to be in the mix." The 29-year-old has been inspired by his strong performance in the Tour de Suisse in June when he defended his yellow jersey in the mountaintop finish at Verbier and only had to relinquish the lead in the final stage to Saas-Fee.

However, Martin knows that everything is not up to him: "My chances are always dependent on the course. A course with steep climbs and without time trial kilometers is just not for me. But if there is a time trial, I still should be able to focus on the GC."

Martin must at least fight against the clock over 6.7 kilometers which is the distance of the prologue on March 8 in Maurepas.Since the full course of the 73rd edition of the race has not yet been announced, everything else is speculation.

For safety, Etixx-Quick-Step will line up with a two-pronged attack as world champion Michal Kwiatkowski will also skip Tirreno-Adriatico in favour of Paris-Nice. "If one sacrifices himself to allow the other to win, it would certainly be an acceptable solution for us," Martin said. "It's always nice when you are at the start with two captains because you can share the pressure."

The three-time world time trial champion will start his season at the Dubai Tour after which he will ride Volta ao Algarve and finally Paris-Nice. As in 2014, Martin will also do the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and the Tour de Romandie. "I want to go the other tours in the spring at a high level, but because of its name Paris-Nice is the highlight," he explained.

After the one-week stage races in March and April, his focus will change to the second and perhaps most important highlight of the season: the opening time trial of the Tour de France in Utrecht where he wants to fulfill the dream of the taking the yellow jersey. At the end of September, he wants to reclaim the world time trial title in Richmond.

According to Biciciclismo, Martin will use the Criterium du Dauphiné to prepare for the Tour and he will be at the start of the Amstel Gold Race in April.