Tour de Romandie 2025 – “Happy to have won than to make a good general”: Lenny Martinez dreamed only of the stage

If Lenny Martinez was still looking for his reference success, he probably holds it. In March there was his first victory in World Tour, at Côte-Saint-André, on the 5th stage of Paris-Nice.

But the French of the Bahrain-Victorious took off this Saturday the first success of his career in the high mountains, at the top of one of the hardest climbs in Europe, Thyon 2000 and its 20kms at 7.7%. So inevitably, the Habs were satisfied with having successfully completed his first big test of the season on this type of ascent.

“It was a super long ascentrecalls the French, author of his 8th career success. And as it is extremely long, we just had to try not to think about the length of the ascent because otherwise we can quickly stall“. Setting is a word that Lenny Martinez no longer really knows in the mountains. 4th at the Lodge of the Guards in Paris-Nice, 4th in Montserrat and the Molina on the Tour de Catalonia, the Frenchman was already of regularity at the highest impressive level on the start of the season. But success escaped him so far. Not this time.

“I didn’t want to let go of an AUE alone and, they were trying to distance everyone and in particular Astana for the generalsays Martinez. It took advantage of me, there was a good rhythm and, once it (fortnatato) was distant, we left with Joao (Almeida) and we rolled hard until the end. It was very hard, but, in the end, with my punch, I managed to beat him, even if he was very strong too. I’m very happy to win today, for the team“Especially since this victory was a priority.

“I am more happy to have won the stage than to make a good general “admits the tricolor, who had however been “warned” by David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) the same morning. “”We joked this morning with David Gauduhe said at a press conference. He told me that I was going to win and be yellow, and it’s real! I am not yet Tadej Pogacar to win with 4 minutes in advance, but it’s incredible to win. Friday, I did not go far, and I wanted a little to take revenge and win, I knew it was possible. “Even if he doubted until the end.

“He also has a good explosiveness so it was a bit of a neck to the end and I was a little afraid when I saw him come back in the last meters to my left. I thought I was not going to succeed in taking the last turn before arrival, I did not know if he was tightening or not, but then, when I saw the finish line and I forgot everything to win“And his punch made the difference to keep an advance wheel on the Portuguese.

With this success, Lenny Martinez is also adorned with the leader’s leading jersey for the first time in his career, even if the Habs did not even realize it, concentrated that he was on the stage victory. “”I take the yellow jersey? I didn’t knowhe fell from the clouds in the middle of an interview. Sunday is a time trial, we will have to see what it gives, it is not a simple time so it will be a good test for me“. With 3 ” ahead of Joao Almeida but also 32 ” of Marge on the 4th, Jay Vine (UAE-Emirates-XRG), a first podium general of a race by stages in World Tour reaches his arms. And why not better?