French hope Lenny Martinez finishes dead last, but Bahrain Victorious reassures fans with statement

The 21-year-old Martinez was dropped several times during the stage, at times looking unable to keep up with his 52 kilograms. The top talent, who has made it his ambition to win a stage in this Tour de France, eventually finished last, 9 minutes and 11 seconds behind. This put him just under three minutes behind a group that finished ahead of him.

Not a good sign, but Bahrain Victorious immediately put an end to the panic in France. In a statement via the official channels, Martinez's day was dismissed as almost planned. 2Matej, Kamil & Lenny were further back, with their sights more firmly set on other stages to come. A solid start from the Bahrain Boys, who all avoided danger on the way to Lille Metropole."

Santiago Buitrago did gain some time in his GC ambitions. The Colombian climber was in the same group as Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic, among others, 39 seconds behind the first group. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard were in that group. “However, the team achieved its most important goal, as everyone finished safely.”

Alaphilippe was not in the same position as Martinez, but we did not expect the French leader of Tudor to fall back during the echelon battle. At L'Equipe, sports director Sylvain Blanquefort is not fazed. “When the time comes, we're counting on Julian. There are at least three or four stages that could suit him. We hope to be in contention because what drives him is still winning stages and races.”

So, no panic yet? “The Tour is a race that makes him stronger; he loves this environment and this vibe. Julian was in good shape in the Tour de Switzerland; it had been a long time since we had seen him like that. He was able to follow riders like João Almeida and Felix Gall on tough climbs, which are good indicators of his ability. Switzerland has given him a lot of confidence.”