Ireland's Dan Martin is willing to forgo next summer's Tour de France in order to race on home roads and mount a serious assault on the general classification at the Giro d'Italia.
May's Giro will start with three stages in Ireland and Martin hopes riding through Belfast, Armagh and Dublin will provide the perfect launch pad for a place in the top 10 overall.
The 27-year-old climber emerged as a potential GC contender in 2013 by winning the Volta a Catalunya and then following that up with marquee victories at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and on stage nine of the Tour de France.
Those results have prompted his Garmin-Sharp team to provisionally mark him down to lead the squad at the Giro and while a Tour starting in Yorkshire was also on his radar, such an opportunity was too good to pass up.
"It is a little bit annoying that they are both happening in the same year," Martin told Sky Sports.
"It is still a big question mark as to whether I will be on the start line in Yorkshire. It depends on how the Giro goes, how I come out of it and how I am feeling. But I will definitely be on the start line in Belfast.
'Giro suits me'
"The Giro is definitely a course that suits me. The team has said to me to go there as team leader.
"All being well and no crashes or sickness, it would be really good to get a top 10 for the first time in a Grand Tour. I think with my physical capacity, I could be top five, but that would be a long three weeks."
Central to Martin's success in 2013 was an all-action, attacking approach that saw him break away from the peloton and stay clear to the finish line in some of the sport's biggest races.
He believes his aggression is his defining attribute as a rider and while he wants to stay true to his nature, he admits he will have to make concessions over the three weeks of a Grand Tour.
"My Grand Tour racing still needs some work, but I'm not stressed about that," he added. "I really enjoy my racing, and that is what is important.
Martin won Liege-Bastogne-Liege following a late attack
"Obviously, to be successful in a Grand Tour you have to be a little bit more careful with your resources. I think I am ready for it. I think I am mature enough to cope with the pressure for three weeks."
Another factor influencing Martin's chances at the Giro will be his health. The Birmingham-born rider suffers an allergic reaction to tree pollen that is released in the spring and, up until 2012, it had seriously hampered his performances in races such as the Giro and Ardennes Classics.
Allergy concern
An allergy specialist helped him overcome the problem last year, and he reaped the benefits by finishing fourth at La Fleche Wallonne and then winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege this April.
Despite appearing to now be over the problem, Martin is conscious the issue could rear its head again at the Giro, which takes place from May 9 to June 1.
"I am always one to look on the bright side, though, so if the Giro doesn't go well, maybe I won't kill myself and I will be going to the Tour in July."
Dan Martin
Dan Martin
"The last couple of years at the Ardennes Classics have shown I seem to have my allergies under control, but you never know," he added.
"The last time I did the Giro I suffered a lot with my allergies, so it is a big question mark.
"Last year I finally sorted the correct inhaler. I also saw an allergy specialist. It has been a real career-changing thing. I'm pretty sure we're on the right track now.
"I am always one to look on the bright side, though, so if the Giro doesn't go well, maybe I won't kill myself and I will be going to the Tour in July."
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