Forward of his winter transfer to Bahrain Victorious this winter, Lenny Martinez has outlined a future objective of profitable the Tour de France.
The extremely rated 21-year-old has already claimed six one-day race victories together with the CIC-Mont Ventoux and Trofeo Laigueglia throughout his first two years as knowledgeable. He is now set to maneuver on from Groupama-FDJ to Bahrain, the place he is anticipated to proceed his growth right into a prime climber and Grand Tour contender.
Martinez, who has already raced each the Vuelta a España and Tour de France, informed Le Monde that the Tour is his final profession objective.
“I will do quite a lot of preparation this winter, on and off the bike, to attain my targets,” he mentioned earlier than including, “I need to win the Tour.
“To beat Tadej Pogačar, you must put all the possibilities in your aspect,” he added, referring to his workforce change.
Martinez’s transfer to Bahrain got here after a protracted interval of rumours linking him with a transfer away from French squad Groupama-FDJ. His signing with Bahrain on a three-year deal was confirmed shortly after biking’s switch window opened at the beginning of August.
Regardless of that, Martinez mentioned that he “would have favored” to remain on longer with Groupama, saying he had hoped his transfer away from the squad would have “come later”.
He did, nonetheless, say how “grateful” he was to the French workforce – “an unforgettable household” for his or her key position in creating him thus far whereas restating that he “all the time mentioned he wished to go overseas.”
Martinez additionally mentioned that he had a alternative of a number of totally different groups for 2025 and past. He’ll reportedly earn €800,000 per yr in the course of the course of his Bahrain contract.
“There are quite a lot of expectations round me,” he mentioned. “Many groups, each international and French, got here to strategy me, which is sort of uncommon on this planet of biking.”
Within the interview, Martinez additionally mirrored on his 2024 marketing campaign, which noticed him take wins at Laigueglia, the Traditional Var, Traditional Grand Besançon, Tour du Doubs and the Traditional Alpes-Maritimes in the course of the first half of the season.
He additionally completed second at O Gran Camiño and completed within the prime 10 at Strade Bianche, although his second half of the yr introduced much less success. He began the Tour de France having earlier been mooted to tackle the Vuelta for a second time. In France, he completed 124th, with an Eleventh-place end within the closing time trial his finest outcome.
“It was minimize in two, with good and dangerous,” he mentioned of his season. “Every part was going badly. My legs had been now not delivering coaching.
“I wished to participate in my first Tour de France with a French workforce. I’ve gained expertise for the long run,” he concluded, placing a optimistic spin on his first outing on the race he at some point hopes to win.
