When taking stock of his first season with Bahrain-Victorious, Lenny Martinez returned to this unfortunate episode of the Tour de France.
Four victories, including three in the World Tour, on the beautiful stages of Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie and the Dauphiné. For a first season with Bahrain-Victorious, Lenny Martinez can be satisfied with his performances.
“I am happy with the season I have just had, he confided this weekend
at RMC. I really didn’t think I would win races at this level. I’m constantly progressing compared to what I did last year, I’ve reached another milestone and if it continues like this every year, I think it could be good for the future. »
Lenny Martinez explains
For the 22-year-old climber, the goal for next season will be to progress in the general rankings of major races. It could be a way for him to restore an image tarnished by the Tour de France controversy,
where he was caught red-handed with a “stuck bottle” during a climb.
“Obviously, it’s a bit touching, since you see everything that’s said on the networks. Even though I try not to look too hard, I stumbled upon it. Afterwards, I know that I didn’t want to cheat.”assures Lenny Martinez.
The Frenchman explains himself, and partly admits his faults:
“When I watch the video, I tell myself that there are things that are wrong. But it’s also complicated when you’re in a pass. The first stupid thing I did was take gels when I didn’t need them. I take the gels and I tell myself that it will put some extra weight back on me even though the summit of the pass is three kilometers away and besides, I don’t need them. »
“There is also a lack of lucidity with effort. People don’t understand at that level. There are a lot of people who watch the Tour de France and think that just hanging on is cheating when you’re allowed four seconds. In any case, I know that I didn’t want to cheat. I’m okay with myself”adds the French rider, who took the criticism from his former teammate at Groupama-FDJ badly.
“Regarding Thibaut Pinot, I don’t have much to say, I don’t know why he reacted in this way. »
