Lenny Martinez is clear towards the Tour about his ambitions: 'Have much more confidence now on those kinds of arrivals'

With Santiago Buitrago leading the charge, Bahrain Victorious heads into the Tour de France with clear ambitions. Rising French star Lenny Martinez has been given a so-called ‘free role’, though what that actually entails had remained a bit vague — until Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference attended by IDLProCycling.com, the 21-year-old clarified his goals for the upcoming Tour.

Since his transfer from Groupama-FDJ to Bahrain Victorious, Martinez has been enjoying a standout 2025 season. The Cannes native took a huge breakthrough win in March, claiming stage six of Paris-Nice — the biggest victory of his career at that point. He followed it up with stage wins at both the Tour de Romandie and the Critérium du Dauphiné, proving he’s in red-hot form heading into his second Tour de France.

“I’d rather win a stage right now than go for the general classification,” Martinez stated plainly. That doesn’t mean he’s given up on future GC ambitions. “Eventually, I might move in that direction, but for now I really enjoy chasing stage wins.”

How long that phase will last, he’s unsure. “Maybe in two years? I don’t know exactly, but I’ve got time,” he said. “Right now I’m still very far from being able to win the Tour, so there’s no pressure. If I ever get closer to that level, then I’ll probably feel some pressure. But that’s not where I am today.”

Martinez made his Tour debut in 2024, though his performance — still in the FDJ colors — went largely under the radar. “This time, the first goal is to win a stage,” he said. “And if I go for a stage win, it’ll likely be in the second or third week. By then, I might already have picked up a few points for the polka dot jersey,” he added, showing a bit of interest in the King of the Mountains classification.

Winning the KOM jersey would carry added significance for Martinez, whose grandfather Mariano Martinez won the polka dot jersey all the way to Paris in 1978. “But it’s still a secondary objective,” the youngster emphasized. “I’m not going for the GC — I’m going for daily success. That’s been the plan since the start of the season.”

Asked about specific stages, Martinez had a clear favorite: “I really like the stage with the Mur de Bretagne. That’s one I’d love to win,” he said, pointing to stage seven — a finish made iconic by Mathieu van der Poel’s emotional Tour debut victory in 2021.

Other potential targets come later in the race, especially those with more climbing involved. “The breakaway could be an option,” Martinez added. “You never know if you’ll make it, but in the Dauphiné I won from the break. I thought we’d have a bigger gap, but it turned out to be a very close finish,” he said, referring to his win on the final stage to Plateau du Mont-Cenis. “You need a bit of luck, and it helps if there are strong riders in the move. If I make the break, I’ll give it everything and see what happens.”

Heading into his second Tour appearance, Martinez feels better prepared. “I’m improving every year. I’ve kept that progression going and we’ve changed a lot in training. With my new coach, we’ve worked a lot more on my punch. I think that’s really important, and now I feel much more confident on those kinds of finishes.” With several punchy stages in the first week, that could pay off quickly.

As for the race’s controversial new finish on the Champs-Élysées — featuring a climb to Montmartre — Martinez doesn’t have a strong opinion just yet. “Honestly, I don’t really know what to think. I’ve never done that circuit before, so I’d have to experience it first before saying anything.”