Ahead of his winter move to Bahrain Victorious this winter, Lenny Martinez has outlined a future goal of winning the Tour de France.
The highly rated 21-year-old has already claimed six one-day race victories including the CIC-Mont Ventoux and Trofeo Laigueglia during his first two years as a professional. He's now set to move on from Groupama-FDJ to Bahrain, where he's expected to continue his development into a top climber and Grand Tour contender.
Martinez, who has already raced both the Vuelta a España and Tour de France, told Le Monde that the Tour is his ultimate career goal.
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"I'm going to do a lot of preparation this winter, on and off the bike, to achieve my goals," he said before adding, "I want to win the Tour.
"To beat Tadej Pogačar, you have to put all the chances on your side," he added, referring to his team switch.
Martinez's move to Bahrain came after a long period of rumours linking him with a move away from French squad Groupama-FDJ. His signing with Bahrain on a three-year deal was confirmed shortly after cycling's transfer window opened at the start of August.
Despite that, Martinez said that he "would have liked" to stay on longer with Groupama, saying he had hoped his move away from the squad would have "come later".
He did, however, say how "grateful" he was to the French team – "an unforgettable family" for their key role in developing him to this point while restating that he "always said he wanted to go abroad."
Martinez also said that he had a choice of several different teams for 2025 and beyond. He'll reportedly earn €800,000 per year during the course of his Bahrain contract.
"There are a lot of expectations around me," he said. "Many teams, both foreign and French, came to approach me, which is quite rare in the world of cycling."
In the interview, Martinez also reflected on his 2024 campaign, which saw him take wins at Laigueglia, the Classic Var, Classic Grand Besançon, Tour du Doubs and the Classic Alpes-Maritimes during the first half of the season.
He also finished second at O Gran Camiño and finished in the top 10 at Strade Bianche, though his second half of the year brought less success. He started the Tour de France having earlier been mooted to take on the Vuelta for a second time. In France, he finished 124th, with an 11th-place finish in the closing time trial his best result.
"It was cut in two, with good and bad," he said of his season. "Everything was going badly. My legs were no longer turning in training.
"I wanted to take part in my first Tour de France with a French team. I have gained experience for the future," he concluded, putting a positive spin on his first outing at the race he one day hopes to win.
