The 2026 Tour de France ended this Sunday, July 26, with a remarkable performance for Lenny Martinez. At just 23 years old, the rider from Cannes at Bahrain Victorious takes 5th place in the general classification and crosses a new milestone in his career.
The 2026 Tour de France will be remembered as a turning point in the career of Lenny Martinez. The climber from Cannes completes the three weeks of racing in 5th place in the general classification, marking the best result of his young career. At 23 years old, the Bahrain Victorious rider exceeded expectations set before the Grand Départ, when the team was still hesitating between a general classification objective or another pursuit of the best climber’s jersey, as in 2025.
This fifth place rewards steady progression observed over several seasons. Lenny Martinez did not win any stages despite a closely contested finish during stage 19 at Alpe d’Huez, but the overall assessment remains highly positive after three weeks of competition. “For me, this is a tour beyond my expectations,” explained the rider from Cannes before the start of the final stage. “I never thought I would finish top 5 on a Tour de France, especially almost winning a stage, it’s great and well, I’m very happy about that.”
The young man from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region measures the distance traveled since childhood, when the Tour de France seemed unreachable: “I watched the tour on TV back then and for me it was impossible. It’s such a high level to finish top 5 on a Tour de France, so it’s something I never thought I would do in my career.”
A family story at the heart of success
This performance is part of a family history intimately linked to cycling. During the major mountain stages, Miguel Martinez accompanied his son as closely as possible during the race. The former Olympic champion positioned himself in the climbs to encourage Lenny and hand him water bottles at key moments. A valuable presence that accompanied the young climber from the Côte d’Azur throughout this Grand Tour.
Cycling has been part of the Martinez family’s history for several generations. Miguel Martinez, Olympic mountain bike champion in Sydney in 2000 and cross-country world champion, learned the trade from his father Mariano Martinez, winner of the Tour de France polka dot jersey and 6th in the general classification in 1972. After a career on the road with Mapei-Quick Step and then Phonak, Miguel Martinez never truly left cycling. Even after his retirement from professional racing in 2006, the former pro continued to train almost every day.
The passion for cycling is also transmitted daily. Every noon, the family meets at their grandparents’ home. Lenny Martinez joins the table after training. Miguel Martinez and his brother Yannick, also a former professional cyclist, stop to share a coffee before heading out to ride again. A family routine that has accompanied the young climber’s progression for many years.
A result that opens new perspectives
Beyond the final ranking, Lenny Martinez particularly values the ability to maintain a high level throughout the three weeks of racing. A consistency that was still lacking in previous seasons: “I didn’t fall far short, but especially validating a general classification for me over three weeks, personally, that’s something beautiful. I’ve never managed to do three weeks all well like that but I saw that this year I was much better in week-long races too and finally each year I improve on that so that’s good.”
At the finish, the emotion also took on a family dimension. The rider from Cannes improves on the result achieved by his grandfather Mariano Martinez, 6th in the 1972 Tour de France. “So much emotion to finally finish this Tour de France. I did better than my grandfather Mariano, 6th in 1972. I never would have thought it.”
As the race progressed, ambitions evolved. A top 10 already seemed difficult to achieve in a particularly dense peloton. “Midway through this Tour de France, I told myself that this top 10 was highly competitive, it was crazy this year. And I manage to finish top 5. Roman Kreuziger (his sports director, ed. note) told me I was among the top four in terms of strength. I said no the whole race and maybe he was right after all!”
With this 5th place at 13min02 from the overall winner, Tadej Pogacar, in the 2026 Tour de France, Lenny Martinez confirms his step up in performance. The 23-year-old rider from Cannes records the best result of his career on the Grand Tour. This performance also continues the story of a family that has marked French cycling for several generations.
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