A child of the ballAt the Martinez family, we ride bikes from generation to generation. Lenny’s grandfather, the new leader of the Vuelta, Mariano (professional from 1971 to 1981, with Gan, Gitane or La Redoute) won two victories in the Tour de France (in 1978 and 1980), won the jersey at pea of best climber (1978) and finished 3rd in the 1974 world championship won by Eddy Merckx. His father, Miguel, was a gold medalist at the Olympics in mountain biking in 2000, was a cyclo-cross hopeful world champion and participated in 5 Tours de France. His uncle Yannick was also a professional (AG2R, Europcar, Delko Marseille Provence). But Miguel Martinez assures that he did not push his son Lenny, as he told L’Équipe: “Lenny grew up in the Var with his mother, and even when, as a teenager, he chose to come live with me in Burgundy, he had no plans in that direction. He was attracted to the Urbex. But doing somersaults in industrial wastelands, he broke his collarbone twice. It was a bad slope. We ended up putting him in a race, without giving him any instructions, and he won. From there, he has only progressed, he is meticulous and he learns very quickly. »
Headliner at 20 In the middle of the transfer window marked in the Groupama-FDJ formation by the departure of an executive, the sprinter Arnaud Démare, Marc Madiot, the manager reminded AFP that he saw far with nuggets which were soon to hatch. “Some people expected us to recruit leaders, but we already have leaders! They are already with us and they will go upmarket. At 20, Lenny Martinez and Romain Grégoire (also 20) know they are expected.
His first big lap For months, observers have announced it as a very big one. Lenny Martinez climbs the steps (12th in the Tour of Catalonia, 18th in the Critérium du Dauphiné) with discretion. He observes, acclimatizes with the quiet assurance and the distance of those who are in their place. Aware of expectations, focused on the objectives to be achieved. Short and longer term. Lenny Martinez saw his first big lap on the Vuelta. “It’s the end of the season, we had a few months to progress well. We took cash. And a first big lap always allows you to pass a course, ”he assured before the start of the Vuelta. This Thursday, 2nd in the 6th stage at 26” from the American Sepp Kuss, he climbed to the top of the general classification (8” ahead of the rider from the Jumbo-Visma formation; the Belgian Remco Evenepoel is 9th at 2’47”, Dane Jonas Vingegaard 11th at 2’52”). All smiles. Red with pleasure, Lenny Martinez summed up on Eurosport: “It’s incredible, the Vuelta is already successful. I never take a breakaway normally. As the race progressed, I saw a group in the distance and jumped. The whole team sacrificed for me today. (…) I thought about it the whole stage, I said that I didn’t want to go then I went anyway. There was a big group, instinctively I said to myself ‘I have to go’, I thought of the red jersey and that’s it!
Climber categoryIn June, Lenny Martinez won the Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenge, ahead of the Canadian Michael Woods (Israel Premier Tech), winner of the Puy-de-Dôme stage in the last Tour de France. Leading to the top. In his register: climber. Cut to stand up on the pedals at the height of the slope and to rise when the big guys are suffering. Lenny Martinez: 1.68 m for 52 kg, ready to face the most formidable slopes. Against the best. On the most famous tests.
Product of the Groupama-FDJ incubatorThe Groupama-FDJ team is preparing to see its emblematic leader Thibaut Pinot leave (last race the Tour of Lombardy, October 7) but for several years it has been investing in young talents led, in Besançon, by Frédéric Grappe, led by many sports directors. Lenny Martinez and Romain Grégoire come from this formation, the Continentale (8 riders from the “Conti” turned pro in 2023). With Romain Grégoire (winner of the 4 days of Dunkirk and the Tour du Limousin), more punchy and the climber Lenny Martinez, France has two bright hopes.
