Tony Martin, the best time triallist in cycling over the past few years, is looking to continue German success in the Tour de France by taking the third Yellow jersey of the Tour’s opening day as a German, with Kittel taking the last two in sprints.

However, the Etixx-QuickStep man also has eyes on taking back the Rainbow Jersey after Bradley Wiggins beat him in the time trail in Ponferrada last year. But a first stint in the Yellow of the Tour is a big priority.

"I haven't seen the course yet, we have a week there before the time trial itself so there is plenty of time for that," Martin told Cyclingnews.

"But even it's technical, it'll probably be flat, it's 13 or 14 kilometres long, and all of those factors will suit me." And if he had to choose between winning the Worlds and taking yellow? "I want both," he said.

But he hasn’t enjoyed his best start to a year so far, after just taking the TT win in Algarve, he got sick ahead of his big goal in Paris-Nice and hasn’t won since, even if he has hit form for the Ardennes, delivering Kwiatkowski to Amstel success for guiding Alaphilippe to second in Fleche today.

"My first big goal was Paris-Nice, up to then my condition was good, and I knew that that after the win in Algarve. But then in the second half of Paris-Nice I got sick with the 'flu, and I couldn't go any more for GC, but even so I got fourth on the Col d'Eze which showed that my base form was good."

"But I'm still in good condition and even though I've had some bad luck, the big races are still coming."

Martin has already looked at his run-up to the Worlds following the Tour and he says this year he will skip the Vuelta for other races, the first time he misses the Spanish Grand Tour since before he took his first Rainbow Jersey in 2011.

"Probably I'll do the Canadian WorldTour races, and some smaller races in Europe. The trouble is the Vuelta is getting harder, hotter, steeper – whatever – every year and maybe it's not the best preparation to be really fit on one day, so I try to do it another way next year."

He also says that he will try to repeat his great solo win in the Tour de France from stage nine to Mulhouse last year in the 2015 edition.

"Sure it'd be great, but to be honest, it's the kind of day you have once or twice in your life, when you have diamonds in your legs and everything falls into place. It wasn't easy to do last year, but now, with everybody knowing I can stay away like that, it'll be even harder. I'll look for my chance."

And a crack at the Hour Record may be on the cards, although he certainly won’t make an attempt in 2015.

"I don't think it will happen this year, because you need a lot of time to prepare for it and it's not the big goal for now. But it'll be a target, that's for sure, and it's nice to see now what Bradley [Wiggins] is doing. For sure he'll set the time to beat. Considering how he prepares so well for the races where he wants to do well, the question is more whether he sets such a good time it'll be [realistically] possible to beat it."