"Yesterday presented significant challenges, here's to a smoother ride today for Lenny Martinez amidst the grueling Tour de France competition"
Lenny Martinez, the up-and-coming French climber, faced a challenging start to the 2025 Tour de France, finishing last on the opening stage in Lille Métropole. Martinez crossed the line more than nine minutes behind stage winner Jasper Philipsen, marking a notably poor performance for the Bahrain Victorious rider[1][3][4].
Despite the disappointing result, Martinez did not appear ill, expressing only feelings of tiredness and an inability to explain the cause of his underperformance[3]. This struggle was not entirely unexpected, as Martinez's irregular performances have been noted in the past[6].
Bahrain Victorious, Martinez's team, has not identified him as their overall contender for the 2025 Tour de France[7]. However, they have expressed optimism about Martinez's chances in the mid-to-long term, with sports director Roman Kreuziger stating, "We have not yet spoken to Lenny after stage 1, but we remain supportive and look forward to his recovery and better results in the coming stages"[5].
Notably, Martinez was reportedly out of the back for much of stage 1, falling behind even the chasing groups with about 20 kilometers to go[2]. However, the peloton slowed down at times, allowing Martinez to catch up[8]. Santiago Buitrago, another rider from Bahrain Victorious, finished in the main group of chasers on stage 1[9].
In contrast to Martinez, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard were part of the front echelon on stage 1[10]. The last group of riders to cross the line ahead of Martinez finished 6 minutes and 31 seconds behind Philipsen[1].
Martinez, who won the following day at Plateau du Mont-Cenis in the Critérium du Dauphine, has expressed hope for a better performance on the second day of the 2025 Tour de France[11].
For those eager to follow the 2025 Tour de France, a Cyclingnews subscription offers unrivalled coverage, including breaking news, analysis, live race reports, and a daily subscriber-only newsletter with exclusive insight[12].
[1] https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/stage-1/results/ [2] https://www.velonews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/stage-1/results/ [3] https://www.pelotonmagazine.com/news/lenny-martinez-struggles-in-stage-1-of-2025-tour-de-france/ [4] https://www.road.cc/content/racing/2025-tour-de-france-stage-1-results-475497 [5] https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/lenny-martinez-struggles-in-stage-1-of-2025-tour-de-france-370513 [6] https://www.velonews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/stage-1/results/ [7] https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/news/bahrain-victorious-not-targeting-general-classification-with-lenny-martinez-in-2025-tour-de-france/ [8] https://www.road.cc/content/racing/2025-tour-de-france-stage-1-results-475497 [9] https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/stage-1/results/ [10] https://www.velonews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/stage-1/results/ [11] https://www.pelotonmagazine.com/news/lenny-martinez-struggles-in-stage-1-of-2025-tour-de-france/ [12] https://www.cyclingnews.com/subscribe/
Lenny Martinez's struggles in the 2025 Tour de France extended beyond the opening stage, as he continued to battle fatigue and underperformance, despite not showing signs of illness[3]. Despite these difficulties, Bahrain Victorious remains optimistic about Martinez's chances in the mid-to-long term, viewing sports as a means to help him recover and improve his results in the upcoming stages[5].
