Lenny Martinez clear on his Tour de France ambitions: "I now have much more confidence on those types of finishes"

Martinez has had an excellent 2025 since his move from Groupama-FDJ to Bahrain Victorious. The 21-year-old rider from Cannes showed great potential this spring and made an impact in March. In the sixth stage of Paris-Nice, the Frenchman recorded the biggest victory of his career to date, followed by two more WorldTour victories in both the Tour de Romandie and the Critérium du Dauphiné. Martinez is, therefore, in very good shape for his second Tour de France.

“The first goal will mainly be to win a stage,” the Frenchman is clear about his game plan for the Tour. “I also know that if I go for a stage win, it could be in the last two weeks. By then, I might already be able to pick up some points for the mountains classification,” he says with an eye on the battle for the polka dot jersey.

If Martinez wins the polka dot jersey, the young Frenchman will follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Mariano, who won the polka dot jersey in the 1978 Tour. “Still, the polka dot jersey comes second,” Martinez is uncompromising. “I'm not focusing on the classification, but on stage wins. That has been the goal since the beginning of the season.”

“I know that right now I'd rather win a stage than finish high in the GC,” the Frenchman continues. However, that doesn't mean that's the irreversible direction Martinez wants to take. “Ultimately, I may move more towards the GC, but at the moment I'm enjoying chasing stage wins.”

Martinez doesn't know how long that will last. “I don't know how long, but it could be in two years. I know I still have plenty of time.” For now, at least, it's a Tour without pressure. “I'm still a long way from winning the Tour, so there's hardly any pressure. If I ever get close to the level needed to win the Tour, I'm sure I'll feel some pressure. Today, it's not that bad.”

Stage wins, but which ones? “I think the Mur de Bretagne stage is a really nice one. That's a stage I'd like to win,” says the Frenchman, looking ahead to stage seven. That's when the famous hill returns, where Mathieu van der Poel took the yellow jersey in his Tour debut in 2021. Other options are stages with a bit more climbing, which occur a little later in the Tour.

Then, the early breakaway could also be an option for Martinez. “Of course, you never know if you're in a position to make it. In the Dauphiné, I did win from the breakaway. I thought we would have more of a margin, but in the end it was only just enough,” says the Bahrain Victorious rider, referring to his victory in the final stage to the Plateau du Mont-Cenis. “Of course, you need a bit of luck, and it helps if there are a few strong riders with you. If I get into the early breakaway, I'll give it my all, and then we'll see.”

After his first participation last year, this will be Martinez's second time competing in the world's biggest cycling race. His participation in 2024, still with Groupama-FDJ at that point, was very anonymous, but a lot has changed since then. “I know I'm getting better every year. I'm maintaining that progress, and we've also made significant changes in training. With my new trainer, I've trained the punch a lot more. I think that's very important. As a result, I now have much more confidence in those kinds of finishes.” There are a lot of those in the first week of the Tour.

On the last day, the Tour circus eventually arrives at the Champs-Élysées via a revised lap. Many riders, including Jonas Vingegaard, have already criticized the inclusion of the Montmartre climb in the final stage. When asked, Martinez does not seem to have a strong opinion on the matter. “To be honest, I don't really know what to think about it. I've never attempted the lap that ends on the Champs-Élysées.”