Ridiculed Lenny Martinez now looks ready for Tour de France mission: "I’ll try again to win a stage"
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Follow us on GoogleLenny Martinez seems to be slowly but surely regaining his old legs. The 21-year-old Frenchman from Bahrain Victorious came to the Tour de France with big ambitions for stage wins and the mountains classification, but on day 1 he was laughed at when he finished dead last, over nine minutes down, in an echelon stage. After a few tough days, Martinez suddenly found himself in the early breakaway on day 4, and he held out the longest. That bodes well for the rest of the Tour.
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Martinez rode the Tour de France last year already, but back then he did so after an overloaded early season, leaving him exhausted and finishing 124th in the general classification. After switching from Groupama-FDJ to Bahrain Victorious, his preparation this year was better, proven by big stage wins in Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie, and the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The young climber never targeted a high GC this season, which already indicated he came to the Tour without those ambitions. Santiago Buitrago is the team’s card for a top five, while Martinez is hunting for stage success. "I also know that if I go for a stage win, it will probably be in the last two weeks. By that time, I might also be able to collect some points for the mountains classification," he said.
Read more below the photo.
Martinez shows himself in lively breakaway attempt
His breakaway attempt on day four was quite surprising, although after finishing last on day 1 he had already shown improvement with 91st place on day 2 and 77th on day 3. No clear cause was given, but within the Tour peloton there were whispers of illness, which meant Martinez was struggling to keep up. On Tuesday he finished 106th, fitting that trend, but of course the picture was completely different.
From kilometer 0, Martinez attacked and eventually found himself in a breakaway group of four. From there he missed out on a mountain sprint for 1 point against Kasper Asgreen, but with a later solo move he still managed to pick up 2 points before being caught. "The main goal was the stage win, but the peloton didn’t allow it. I did pick up some mountain points and my legs feel good," he said afterwards.
With a long time trial on Wednesday, Martinez can in principle take a rest day before stages 6 and 7, which feature a punchy finish and the Mûr de Bretagne on Friday, both attractive finishes for him. ‘Maybe I’ll try again to win a stage. This was the first time I stood on the podium, so I’m happy,’ concluded the winner of the day’s combativity award.
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026
