Martinez pulls out of Liège – and a Liége specialist steps straight in

Everybody knows who the three big favourites for Liège-Bastogne-Liège are. But behind Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas, a whole pack of outsiders is chomping at the bit. Lenny Martinez would normally be among them — but the French climber has decided to skip the race. It’s a blow for the spectacle, though it brings good news for one of his Dutch teammates.

Martinez has spent much of this season measuring himself against the best climbers in the world. He won a stage at Paris-Nice, finished fifth in the overall classification, and took second place at the Tour of Catalonia behind Jonas Vingegaard. At La Flèche Wallonne, the 22-year-old finished eighth — a solid result, but not what he’d had in mind: it was his worst finish in a one-day race this year.

He had been set to make his debut at La Doyenne on Sunday, but the Ardennes Classics were never his main target. So he has decided not to start. “Lenny will not race, in order to rest and recover ahead of his goals at the Tour de Romandie,” the team announced on X. Last year, Martinez won a stage at the Swiss race and finished second overall.

It is a shame, because Martinez had high hopes for the Ardennes Classics. His father, in particular, saw him as a genuine contender. “Given the progress Lenny has made from last year to this year, his performances and improvement statistics, and the steps he’s capable of taking — I think he could, at least in my opinion, achieve a top-three finish,” Miguel Martinez told reporters ahead of La Flèche Wallonne. “But he’ll be going for the win.”

It’s a loss for Bahrain Victorious, who must now do without one of their key men at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. That said, they arrive with a strong team. Pello Bilbao (ninth in 2024), Santiago Buitrago (third in 2023) and Antonio Tiberi will be the main cards to play, with Portuguese rider Afonso Eulálio also well-suited to this kind of terrain.

Martinez’s absence also opens a door for a Dutch teammate. Mathijs Paasschens has been called up as his replacement. The 30-year-old from Rotterdam is a genuine specialist at this race — he has started every edition of La Doyenne since turning professional, and Sunday will be his eighth appearance. He has finished four times, with 68th place his best result.

It will also be his first race since March. Paasschens fractured his collarbone at Paris-Nice, but the injury has clearly healed well: just over a month on from his crash, he’s back in the peloton.