Time was “on the limit” in Haag, then Martinez “drove as hard as he could until the end.”
Video credit: Eurosport
Before the Tour de France, Lenny Martinez knew what he wanted and what he didn’t want. The Bahrain-Victorious pocket climber has his sights set on a stage win and the fight for the polka dot jersey and has ruled out a fight for the general classification. Here he is, four days before the finish and before the final mountain stages, seventh in the Tour de France. Martinez came into the game and also had a great game. Those that create great hope for the future.
When we met the Frenchman before the Tour de France, somewhere on the heights of Barcelona, we were distinguished by his new maturity, much more than this rejection of the general. The slightly shy runner is still there, but with age and perhaps a few media workouts, Martinez is becoming more and more comfortable, so his physical transformation (his shoulders in particular) has been accompanied by an evolution on that side.
Return mountain (before very difficult): profile of the 18th stage
Video credit: Eurosport
To justify his pursuit of peas, the Cannes resident cited family heritage, his grandfather Mariano, the top climber in the 1978 Tour de France, the first of which was won by Bernard Hinault. Despite finishing in the top five on the Paris-Nice route (5th place) and on the podium in Catalunya (2nd place) and then Romandie (3rd place), Martinez has not said he is ready to aim for a top 10 or top 5 finish in the Tour. Perhaps he was afraid of not being able to cope with the task, since we know that he does not tolerate failure.
6th best in Marsktein
He may also have needed a completely successful Grand Boucle after a first poor experience, with the Groupama-FDJ team sending him to the coals after a promising first part of the season, with exit rumors already flourishing at the end of 2024. The second, in 2025, left him wanting more and criticized him for having a bottle that was too tight. Definitely, Martinez needed to improve and, above all, succeed. Fate made the choice for him, but it’s hard to say that the Victorious leader of Bahrain will not be satisfied until then.
After Antonio Tiberi showed signs of weakness, Lenny Martinez was asked to hold out as long as possible, which the Frenchman did, remembering that if anything went wrong, he would happily switch to the original target. But if he doubted he was capable of it, Martinez surprised and surprised himself by finishing 9th in Gavarnie, 10th in Lioran, 11th in Markstein and even 6th in Plateau de Solezone. If his time was a little tougher (20th place with 2’49” from Remco Evenepoel), which makes sense given his pocket size, here he is 7th overall with only Tom Pidcock as a real opponent (8th place eight seconds behind him).
If Seixas hadn’t been there…
However, Lenny Martinez appears to be riding in the shadows this Tour de France. Obviously in the shadow of the leaders of the general classification, but also, and above all, in the shadow of Paul Seixas. In a world where the latter would have preferred to avoid the Tour for his second professional year, Martinez would have been the first French overall pick and, inevitably, a little more active in the discussions. To see this, just remember the attention that surrounded Kevin Vauquelin in 2025. But Seixas is there, and above all, choosing Martinez in the summer of 2024 gives him more peace of mind.
Paul Seixas at the 2026 Tour de France time trial
Photo: Getty Images
With Groupama-FDJ in mind, the pocket climber gained experience and scored his first victories with Thibaut Pinot and others. Unlike Romain Gregoire, who turned professional at the same time as him, Martinez decided to look elsewhere at the end of his first contract. If we know that the motives were less financial than sporting, then picking Martinez looks like a good choice two years later. In Bahrain-Victorius it is growing at its own pace and a little further from the sights of France.
At 23, he achieved exceptional consistency in the season, managing to raise his hand against Jonas Wingegaard at the final stage of Paris-Nice. His performances are a talent just waiting to grow. If Paul Seixas probably has the talent to win the Tour de France, is it completely delusional to believe that Lenny Martinez has the talent to win the Vuelta? A reliable climber, a decent rider, Martinez may well, if he continues to improve, have the physique of a Grand Tour winner. To his legs we must also add a very strong head and a well-built character, which does not spoil anything with such ambitions.