Dan Martin described modern cycling as "boring" and "prescriptive," arguing that racing has become professionalized and that "freedom of expression" has almost disappeared.

Martin also warned that a new wave of young talent might shorten careers, with the exception of two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogachar, who was a relentless attacker and dice-roller during his 14-year career.

In interviews with The Guardian (opens in new tab) and The Irish Independent (opens in new tab) to promote his new autobiography, Martin referred to his opinion that his racing was better when he was just turning pro.

"It's also freedom of expression. There is freedom to attack. Now nobody makes mistakes anymore, so the races are boring to watch," Martin told The Guardian.

"You never see a racer having a bad day because everything is perfectly coordinated. Nutrition and training are perfect, and the human element is missing. The races are pretty by the book.

"You don't need brains to be a pro," said the Irish Independent.

It referred to the wave of fan enthusiasm for the new generation, which includes Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Mathieu van der Pol (Alpecin Deceuninck), and Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma).

"When people say it's the best race ever, it's really because of Pogachar," Martin said. Whereas the other races are scripted and controlled, he's a cannon who attacks whenever he feels like it."

Martin won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2013 and Lombardia in 2014, showcasing his instinctive racing style, even though he finished in the top 10 in the Tour de France three years in a row from 2016 to 2018. His style was in stark contrast to the way Team Sky (now Ineos Grenadier) dominated the race.

Martin revealed that he was rejected by the Dave Brailsford-led team early in his career and himself when they knocked on his door in 2018.

"I remembered why I didn't want to be a part of Team Sky.

"I always went back to my philosophy of why I race. It's for fun. If I have to live like an ascetic to be a good biker, I don't want to do that. If I went to Tenerife every year before the Tour de France and lived on a volcano in the highlands for three weeks, maybe I would be a little better off. But maybe I still wouldn't have fallen in love with cycling."

Citing this as a reason for his retirement, Martin argued that in order to keep up with the increasing pace of the peloton, all professionals would need to follow the regulations of Sky's former Tour winners.

While it seemingly extends to the younger generation, Martin suggested that this new generation may not have the longevity of the old, highlighting the early retirement of Tom Dumoulin and Fabio Aru.

"I've heard of 16-year-olds training 30 hours a week. They're already training like a well-trained pro. Athletes like me used to have a sustainable way of racing that would keep us competitive for a long time. Those days are over."

"In the modern cycling world, I may never have made it this far. How many talented riders will we lose in the future?