Top talent Martinez crowns fantastic form with solo victory: "I'm not yet a top time trialist"

The Trofeo Laigueglia was a triumph for Lenny Martinez, who crossed the finish line solo after an intense final stage. The young Frenchman from Groupama-FDJ had already clinched victory in the Classic Var earlier this season, indicating he is in excellent form. As of now, the top talent is not yet listed on the start list for Strade Bianche, although that could change...

"It's incredible. I can hardly believe it," beams the slender youngster from Cannes in the post-race interview. "In the final, I had to complete a ten-kilometer time trial to secure the win. It went very well, and I'm extremely happy with the result. Honestly, I didn't think I would succeed, given that I'm not yet a top time trialist."

Martinez may have wanted to wait for Grégoire

"At two laps from the end, I was wavering a bit," he recalls of that thrilling final stage, where riders such as Jan Christen, Andrea Vendrame, and Christian Scaroni posed as competitors. "The group behind them, with Romain Grégoire and Juan Ayuso, for example, still had the potential to catch up. I didn't want to exert myself fully until the final lap, when it became clear that the chasing group wasn't closing in."

Martinez recounts that he managed to make the difference right at the end of the final climb. It was fellow youngster Christen (UAE Team Emirates) who he had to pass, enabling the Frenchman to break away solo. "I had to defend a ten-second gap on the descent. It was particularly challenging, but fortunately, I managed to hold on," emphasized the victor once more.